Rivers Between Us
by piratewench78
Summary: BREAKING NEWS: Country music legend Rayna Jaymes passed away last night at the age of 82. She had been hospitalized at Vanderbilt Medical Center since mid-January...
1. Chapter 1

_**A couple of reviewers asked for a story about the end of Deacon and Rayna's lives and how they had had an impact on the lives of their family and friends. This is that story. Each chapter will focus on the perspective of different people in their lives. Reviews welcomed and appreciated!  
**_  
Daniel walked down the hall to the den. The house seemed even quieter than usual. He'd been out to walk the dog and then picked up the paper that was thrown into the driveway. It was a crisp, cold late January day. They'd had a cold winter in Nashville that year and the snow from the week before had just melted. Chipper, their Irish setter, had bounded down this same hallway as soon as they had come in the door. He had stopped briefly to take the paper out of the plastic bag and spread it on the counter. The obituary story wasn't the lead story, but it was above the fold, not surprisingly. Whenever a country music legend died, that was the case.

When he got to the door, he stood for a moment. She sat there, facing the fire, her hand absentmindedly rubbing Chipper's head as he sat at attention next to her. She was still in her nightgown and robe, even though it was past noon. She'd pulled her hair back into a loose braid that fell down her back. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and the fist of her other hand was pressed against her mouth.

"Hey," he said softly, and she turned. Her face looked drawn and, even from where he stood, he could tell that her eyes were still red from crying. She had been mostly awake ever since Tandy's call.

She tried to smile. "Hey," she replied.

He walked over and sat down next to her and she turned to look at him. He reached for her hand, holding it loosely in his. "I thought you said Daphne was going to be here at one," he said.

She nodded and sighed. "Yeah, she is." She looked over at the clock above the fireplace mantle. "I guess I need to get dressed," she said.

He squeezed her hand. "What can I do, Maddie?" he asked. "Do you want me to come with you?"

She thought for a minute and then she shook her head. "Daisy and Lily are coming over, so you probably should be here when they get here." She took a deep breath. "I think this is something Daphne and I need to do alone. She was _our_ mom after all."

He reached up and brushed a thumb across her cheek. "It's already in the paper," he said.

She nodded and gave him a sad smile. "I'm not surprised. Mom told me they had stock death stories for anyone who was old. They even had one for Dad, even though he wasn't so old when he died." She sighed again and then slid over to nestle in his arms. "I was ready for this, you know. I've actually been ready for this since Dad died. I knew how much she missed him. As much as I know she loved Daphne and me, she loved Dad more than anyone in the world and she was so lost without him." Daniel's arms tightened around her and she cried softly.

"How about I come find you something to wear?" Daniel whispered.

Maddie sat up. "Oh, that's okay," she said, with a little smile. She and their girls frequently teased him about mismatched clothes. She got up from the couch. "I can manage."

Daniel grinned. "I'm sure I can find something else to do."

* * *

Maddie had washed her face and put on some makeup that helped her face not look so blotchy and her eyes not so red. As she stood in her closet trying to decide what to wear, she thought about what she'd said to Daniel about being ready. The truth was, no one was ever really ready for the time or the place, even when they knew it was inevitable. Rayna should have recovered from the pneumonia she'd contracted after Christmas. She was in good health, even at eighty-two, and strong. She always had been. But Maddie knew she was tired of waiting. This was as good a reason as any for her to let go.

 _They had sat together at her father's grave, the year after he'd died of a heart attack at seventy-three. It was late February and there had been a cold snap the year he'd died, but a year later, it was a preview of spring. He was buried in the same plot as Virginia and Lamar Wyatt. Maddie remembered her mother remarking on the irony of that – that Lamar would have been indignant and that Deacon would have considered it sweet justice. The two of them had sat on the bench and held each other's hand as they had talked about their memories of Deacon Claybourne._

" _You know, Maddie," Rayna said, turning to her daughter, "I never meant to live a moment without him. When I thought he might die of cancer, I wasn't sure I would be able to go on. It seemed so unfair. We finally could be together. I had finally figured out how to face down my fears and give my heart to the man I'd always loved. I thought it was all going to be taken away and I was so angry and sad. But we ended up having a lot of years together. So it all turned out okay." She wiped away a tear. "But I miss him. So much. I miss holding his hand, looking at his face, hearing him sing and play the guitar." She looked dreamily off into the distance. "That was always magic. No matter what else was going on in our lives, the music was magical." She looked down at her lap. "I miss him sitting next to me, I miss feeling his breath on my cheek. I miss his kisses." She looked at Maddie then and smiled softly. "I'm sorry."_

 _Maddie shook her head. "No, Mom. I love hearing how you felt about him. I never felt like I heard enough. I missed so much." Her voice drifted off._

 _Rayna put her arm around her daughter. "I know. And most of that was my fault. I hope I was able to make up for at least some of that."_

 _Maddie nodded. "You did." She bit her lip. "Are you just waiting to be with him now?" she asked softly._

 _Tears filled Rayna's eyes as she nodded. "Every day without him hurts," she whispered. "It's like it was when I sent him away, back when I found out I was pregnant with you." She wiped at her eyes. "But this time I won't see him again. He's not coming back." She choked on a sob and looked away. "I don't know if I can bear it."_

Maddie felt tears in her own eyes. She knew her mom had just been waiting, all these years, to rejoin her dad. As much as she missed her father and as much as her heart hurt now, there was comfort in knowing he would have been there to meet her. She wouldn't have looked back either, Maddie knew that. He had always been her destiny and now they could be together forever.

She took a deep breath and then reached for a pair of black pants and a black and white sweater. As she pulled the sweater over her head, she stopped and looked at herself in the mirror. At fifty-five, she still looked good, younger than her years. She was still slender and fit. She continued to highlight her hair, which hid the gray. Her face was still reasonably smooth. She lifted up her sweater then, to just under her bra, and looked at the scar that was mostly faded. Twenty years after her father's liver transplant, his liver went into failure. She had given him part of hers, for a second transplant, and that had seemed to finally complete her penance for all that she had done at the age of sixteen.

He had cried in her arms the day she'd told him she was a match. It had given him and her mom almost another ten years, and they had both been beyond grateful. She had hurt him very deeply, all those years ago, and although he had gotten past it, their relationship had never fully regained the ease it had before then. But she had seen in his eyes, when he'd woken up after the surgery, that he had forgiven her completely. Like her Aunt Beverly before her, she'd given him the most precious gift he could ever receive, and that was time with her mother. It was at that moment that she had truly appreciated being the result of that love.

She felt a tear creep down her cheek and she reached up and wiped it away. She had missed her dad every single day since he'd been gone and, now that her mom was gone, it would be doubly hard. She wanted to be strong, though, for Daphne and for her girls. Her dad had always told her how strong her mom was and that she was just like her. She hoped she would be.

"Hey, babe." Daniel's voice came softly behind her and she turned. He had been her rock all these years. He'd held her while she'd cried over her dad's death. It had seemed so wrong for him to have survived the second liver transplant, only to be felled by a heart attack. There had been no time to prepare, no chance for goodbyes. One minute he'd been laughing with her mom in the kitchen and the next he was on the floor, gone. She swallowed over the lump in her throat. "Daphne's here," he said. "You ready?"

She nodded and walked towards him. He took her hand and kissed her on the cheek, then turned to walk her down the hall. Daphne was sitting on the loveseat in the den and when she heard their footsteps she got up and turned towards Maddie. Her face crumpled in tears and Maddie hurried over to her, taking her in her arms. She made a shushing noise as she rubbed her sister's back. "It's gonna be okay," she said, soothingly, using the same tone she'd always used with her daughters when they were distraught over something. She looked over at Daniel. "I don't know how long we'll be. Do you know if one of the girls is stopping to get Aunt Tandy?"

Daniel nodded. "Lily and Jack are. We'll be here when you get back."

She smiled at her husband, then turned back to her sister. She rubbed a thumb under one of Daphne's eyes. "We better get going, don't you think?" Daphne nodded. Maddie looked back and waved at Daniel. "See you later, sweetie."

* * *

It hadn't taken as long as they'd thought, since Rayna had planned most of what she wanted when she had made all the arrangements for Deacon's funeral. Maddie and Daphne sat in a pew about halfway back, in the church Rayna had attended. It had been the church of her childhood, although until Deacon died, she hadn't attended often. But once he had died, she started attending more regularly. It had helped her feel closer to him, she had told Maddie. She'd had a really hard time imagining how it must have felt, for her mother to have lost the love of her life. She wondered if it would feel the same for her if Daniel died first. But that wasn't something she really wanted to dwell on.

"Have you thought about what you want to say?" Daphne asked, interrupting the solitude.

Maddie shrugged her shoulders and then looked at her sister. "Not really. Have you?" she asked.

Daphne sighed. "I wrote down a few things. How silly Mom was sometimes. How she took us on the road with her. And the night we got to make our Opry debut."

Maddie smiled. "That was a great night, wasn't it? It was so cool when Dad showed up to play on stage with us."

Daphne smiled. "That was the same night they got back together," she said.

Maddie nodded, her smile fading just a little. "Yeah, it was." She still remembered going from the highest high to the lowest low, in the space of just minutes, when her dad told them he had cancer. Although she hadn't realized at the time, that had seemed to set off the period of turmoil that had ultimately led to her emancipation. _Not my finest hour._ She sat up a bit and took a deep breath. "Juliette wants to speak."

Daphne nodded. "Aunt Tandy does too. And Scarlett."

They sat quietly for several minutes, lost in thought. Maddie remembered they had had Deacon's service here as well. She remembered thinking it was probably more than he would have wanted. In spite of his success, and the fact that he was married to a country music legend, he was always more comfortable being on the sidelines, not calling a lot of attention to himself. But there were so many people who wanted to pay their respects and her mom had thought this place would work.

Those had been dark days, for all of them. Maddie closed her eyes and thought back to the call she'd gotten in the middle of a cold winter afternoon.

 _When her phone rang, she picked it up and saw that it was her mom. She smiled as she answered. "Hey, Mom," she said. At first there was no response and then she heard what sounded like crying. She felt anxiety rush through her. "Mom? Mom? Is that you?"_

 _After another moment, where she could hear her mom's gasping breath, finally Rayna said, "Oh, Maddie, your father's gone." Then she broke down into sobs._

 _Maddie felt her chest constrict and she felt sick to her stomach. "What?" she croaked. "I don't understand. Mom, where are you?"_

 _There was more sobbing. "At the hospital." Maddie could hardly understand her, but her eyes were burning with tears and her head hurt._

" _What happened?" she whispered._

 _She could hear Rayna take a few deep breaths and clear her throat. "It was all so sudden," she said finally. "We were talking and then he…he just collapsed." She breathed in and out. "They said it was a heart attack."_

 _Maddie was shaking and tears were rolling down her face at this point. "Oh, my God," she cried out. "And he…he died?" She could hear her voice rise to almost a shriek on the last word._

 _Rayna was crying again. "Yes," she said, choking on sobs. "Please come, Maddie. I don't know if I can do this."_

Maddie remembered rushing out of the house and driving to the hospital, tears streaming down her face. She had found her mother, completely distraught, sitting in a private waiting room. They had clung to each other, but Maddie remembered feeling more like the mother than the child, as she saw her mom break down almost completely, unable to speak or stop shaking.

Maddie felt Daphne take her hand and she turned towards her sister. She realized tears were streaming down her face and she watched Daphne's face crumble with tears of her own. "I wasn't ready," Daphne cried. "I wasn't ready for her to go."

Maddie reached for her sister and hugged her close. For a moment she was taken back to when they were young, when Daphne looked to her to be the strong older sister. These days the age difference didn't feel the same and they considered each other best friends. But right now, as Daphne sobbed in her arms, she knew she needed to be the big sister again and help the family get through this devastating loss.


	2. Chapter 2

When the phone rang in the middle of the night, Daphne sat up immediately, her heart racing. Late night calls were rarely good ones, as she well knew, plus she'd had a restless night ever since she'd gone to bed. Part of that was being alone in the house, but she had also visited her mother in the hospital that afternoon and had had a vaguely unsettled feeling ever since.

Rayna had gotten sick right after Christmas and had never really recovered. When it had devolved into pneumonia, she had gone in the hospital. Daphne thought she didn't look good, hadn't for the last several days. She seemed listless and disengaged. She didn't talk much and seemed to sleep a lot. She seemed to be getting weaker instead of better and that had worried Daphne.

So when she picked up the phone and saw that it was her aunt Tandy, she had a bad feeling. "Hello?" she said slowly.

Tandy sighed on the other end. "Sweetie," she said, then stopped for a second. "Sweetie, your mom's gone."

Daphne couldn't catch her breath. She felt an unbelievable anguish rip through her and started to keen as she rocked back and forth. Surprisingly, at first, there were no tears, but soon enough she could feel them start to trail down her cheeks as she leaned forward. "No," she moaned. "No!"

She could hear Tandy crying on the other end of the phone. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," her aunt said softly. "If it helps at all, she went very peacefully."

* * *

She hadn't been able to go back to sleep. She'd called Maddie and they had cried together. Afterwards she'd laid on her side in the bed, crying. She hadn't been ready. She wondered if you were ever really ready to lose your mom. Rayna had always been such a huge presence in her life. She was larger than life as an artist, the queen of country music for years. And yet, in spite of the fact that she was famous, to Daphne she was just mom. She was the person who sang her to sleep and listened to her when she was upset and cheered her up by letting her try on some of the outfits she wore on stage.

Daphne sat up in the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. She looked over at her phone and thought about calling Nick. He adored Rayna and she knew he'd be distraught over the news. But she also knew he would be in the studio at this time of night and he hated being interrupted. She chewed on her lip for a moment and then decided to send a text. _Mom died._ Short and to the point. She knew he'd call when he saw it later.

She sighed. She thought about the fact that Maddie had Daniel, who would hold her while she cried and bring her tea and take care of her, even though Maddie was so strong. Maddie was the only one who knew her marriage to Nick was failing. Had been for years. It felt like she'd woken up one day and they had grown apart, but she knew it wasn't that simple.

When she'd met him, she had begun to think she'd never get married. Nick Ryder was one of the top producers in the country. Rayna had always had a knack for bringing in producers and talent who were a little outside the box and Nick was certainly that. He wasn't into country music, but Rayna had charmed him into producing an artist whose career had stalled. Not unlike the magic Liam McGuiness had been able to create with Rayna herself, at a similar career crossroads, Nick had helped Will Lexington do the same.

Not only was he a top-notch producer, but he was charismatic and quite the ladies' man. Daphne thought back on how she'd wondered if he could ever focus on one woman. But he'd seemed captivated by her and she certainly felt the same way about him. He treated her like a princess and they had been happy for a while. When their son Michael was born, Nick had been thrilled. But it wasn't long before he chafed at life in Nashville. It wasn't his town and it wasn't his scene.

She had risen quickly up the ranks at Highway 65 and, when Bucky had retired, had taken over as the head of A&R. She loved her work every bit as much as Nick loved his. And somewhere in those heady days, they'd started to drift apart. Nick was spending more time in New York and LA, even while she was jetting around the country following up on her artists. They hadn't really talked about the growing distance. He still came home to Nashville every couple of months, but now that Michael was a teenager, he had started traveling more with his father. That was the point at which Daphne knew they were at a serious crossroads.

The fact that he was across the country while she was in their home grieving her mother alone left her wondering if they'd ever be able to bridge the gap. She'd watched her mother and Deacon together for so many years, and they had really been her role models when it came to marriage. The love they had felt for each other had been deep and rich, highlighting a connection that nothing seemed capable of breaking. They had both been such passionate people, mostly due to their artistic natures. Their connection had seemed almost palpable, whether it was their hands touching or just the way they looked at each other.

She'd wanted the same thing, thought she'd had it, but now she just felt empty. And having to deal with Rayna's death all alone made that distance feel all the greater. She reached for the phone, wondering if she should call anyway, but something seemed to stop her. She felt so lonely all by herself, grieving her mom. She finally called the one person she knew she could call, no matter the time. The voice on the other end of the phone was groggy with sleep. "Hello? Daphne? What's wrong?"

She burst into tears. "Mom died," she sobbed into the phone.

"What?"

"Please come home, Dad," she begged. "I need you."

* * *

Daphne took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She sat up and Maddie let her arm fall from around her shoulders. She looked at her sister. "I called Dad," she said. "He's coming home."

Maddie nodded, her face neutral. "Of course," she said.

She sighed. "He would want to be here," she said, a little more mulishly than she'd meant to. "They were married, after all. And had us." She knew that last part tweaked Maddie just a little. After their father had gone to prison, Maddie had pretty much written him off. She had Deacon, after all, and she was working really hard to fix that relationship. She didn't have time anymore for Teddy Conrad.

Maddie narrowed her eyes a bit. "I know that, Daphne," she said. "I expected he'd come." She breathed in. "So when does he get here?"

Daphne relaxed a little. "Tonight. He's driving down from Chicago and he'll stay with Nick and me." She looked down at her hands, clasped tightly together in her lap. "I really need him right now, Maddie." She looked back up at her sister. "I know your relationship with him isn't really good, but he wants to be here for us. He loves you, you know that."

Maddie's face softened slightly. "I do know that," she said. She breathed out. "I'm sorry, Daphne. I know it means a lot to you for him to be here. I understand that." She paused and swallowed. "I guess it just reminds me that my dad is gone."

Daphne reached for her sister's hand as she saw tears well up in Maddie's eyes. "I know," she said, feeling a lump in her throat. "I thought of Deacon as a dad too, so I know." In fact, Deacon had really become her de facto father, once Teddy went to prison. Teddy had not come back to Nashville after he'd been released. He'd ended up in Chicago eventually. By then, Daphne was almost out of high school and she only visited her father a handful of times. They talked periodically, but she'd grown to think of Deacon as her father figure.

When she'd gotten married to Nick Summers, both Teddy and Deacon had walked her down the aisle. If Teddy had objected, he didn't say anything. Daphne remembered a time when it seemed like he was always competing with Deacon, mostly for Maddie, but prison had changed him. It had made him softer, somehow, and he'd told Daphne more than once how grateful he was to Deacon for taking her under his wing.

Deacon had helped her a lot, with her music and with her confidence. He'd been the proud father at her school plays and at graduation. When she had taken over the reins at Highway 65, Deacon was the one she'd wanted to call. But he'd been gone nearly a year by the time that happened, around the same time Rayna had stepped away from any involvement in the label. Teddy was her real father, though, and she loved him still. Even though their relationship wasn't what she'd call close, it was times like these when you needed the people you loved. Nick and Michael were on their way home, but she had laid in bed the night before and not only cried for her mother, but cried for her dad.

* * *

Teddy arrived just after she had gotten home after dropping Maddie off. She had wanted to go in and spend some time with Tandy and her nieces, but she knew she needed to see her dad first.

" _Tell them I'll see them later," she'd said to Maddie, after Maddie got out of the car. "Maybe tomorrow."_

 _Maddie had bent down and looked back at her sister. She nodded. "I will," she said, biting her lip. She took a deep breath. "Tell him I said hello. And thanks for coming."_

 _She looked at Maddie. "I know he'll want to see you."_

 _Maddie looked away for a moment and then back. "Bring him with you tomorrow," she said. "I think we all need to be together."_

Daphne had appreciated that. It had been a long time since Maddie had seen their dad, and Daphne still thought of him as _their_ dad, and she knew it would mean a lot to him for her to include him. She was standing at the front window, looking down at her watch, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw an unfamiliar car pull into the drive. She caught her breath as she watched the driver's side door open and he got out. He stood for a moment, just looking around. She knew he missed this kind of life, but he'd resigned himself to having less.

She walked to the door and opened it, as he made his way up the walk. He seemed like the man who never aged. Except for the gray in his hair, he still looked youthful, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at her. "Hey, Daphne," he said, setting down his overnight bag.

He took a step forward and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "Thanks for coming, Dad," she murmured into his coat.

He put his arms around her and rubbed her back. "Of course, sweetheart," he said soothingly.

She stepped out of his embrace. "Come on in." He picked up his bag and followed her in. He shrugged out of his coat, which he draped across a chair in the foyer, and set his bag down next to it. She turned to him. "Maddie said to tell you hello."

His face lit up. "She did?"

She nodded. "She'd like for us to come over tomorrow. Nick and Michael will be back tonight, so we can all go to her house tomorrow." She thought she saw a hint of tears in his eyes.

"I think that sounds great," he said, his voice soft. He reached for her hand. "I'm so sorry about your mom, honey. What happened?"

She sighed. "Let's sit down," she said, leading him to the couch. When they were settled, she put her elbow on the back of the couch and leaned on her fist. "She got sick after Christmas. Nothing major, just a bad cold, you know? But she didn't really bounce back like I thought she would. It turned into pneumonia. She'd been in the hospital for two weeks and just never seemed to get better."

Teddy gave her a wry smile. "Well, everything's harder when you get old, sweetie."

She wrinkled her nose. "I guess. Except, well, Mom never seemed old. I just never thought of her that way. I mean, except for a little bit of gray, she still had her same reddish-blonde hair. She even still looked younger than she was." She sighed. "Maddie said Mom was waiting to be with Deacon."

He looked away and then down. "Maybe she was," he said quietly.

She reached for his hand. "I'm sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have said that."

He looked up at her and shook his head. "Daphne, I accepted a very long time ago that Deacon was the man your mother loved. I wanted her to be happy and she was. She deserved that."

She frowned. "But you did too, Dad."

He squeezed her hand. "It wasn't going to be with your mother, Daphne."

"I guess." She didn't know why she was feeling so nostalgic all of a sudden. Her parents had divorced so long ago and she'd truly felt part of the family that was her mom, Maddie, and Deacon. But her dad had been alone for so many years and that bothered her. "Was she the love of your life?" she asked then.

He looked surprised at her question. He laughed a little and his eyes crinkled again. "That's a complicated question, Daph," he said.

She peered at him. "You always loved her. Didn't you?" she asked.

He rubbed his face and smiled crookedly. "Rayna Jaymes was a fascinating woman," he said finally, looking off into the distance. "She dazzled me. I almost couldn't believe she was dating someone like me." He looked back at her. "I mean, she was already a star. She'd won awards and she had songs on the radio and people knew her everywhere we went. I was just a businessman, not part of her world at all. But she wanted normal, she said. She wanted the white picket fence and a normal life, with a family she could come home to. I wanted to give her that."

"You did, Dad."

He shrugged and looked a little resigned. "She was always waiting, Daphne. Waiting for Deacon. I finally understood that." He held up his hand when she started to interrupt. "Oh, I know she loved me at one time. Not the way she loved Deacon, but we had a good marriage for most of the time we were married. We had you and Maddie" – he smiled at her – "and she had that family she wanted. The place to come home to, the white picket fence. I don't regret any of it."

Daphne reached in and hugged her father. "I'm glad you're here, Dad."

Teddy reached up and rubbed at his eyes. "I wanted to honor your mother. I did love her, Daphne, very much. She was everything to me back then."

Daphne felt tears track down her face. "She loved you too, Dad. She told me that many times. She always cared about you." He didn't say anything, just reached over and pulled her into his arms. It almost felt like she was a little girl again as he held her while she cried, making soothing sounds in her ear.

* * *

Nick was sitting in bed late that night, the covers pulled up over his lap, when Daphne came in and sat on her side of the bed. He was engrossed in something he was reading. She felt a tug on her heart. His head was bent down and he had on his reading glasses, something that made him even sexier these days. He didn't even look up when she came into the room and she sighed quietly. She picked up the lotion that sat on her nightstand and began to apply it to her arms. She suddenly felt tears press against the back of her eyes as it reminded her of all the times her mother had told her to make sure she moisturized daily. She had inherited Rayna's tendency to dry skin and she felt her heart squeeze with grief again. She breathed in slowly, willing herself to be calm.

She could feel Nick's eyes on her, but she waited. "How are you, love?" he asked finally, his voice compassionate. When he and Michael had arrived earlier that evening he'd been sweet and comforting. If it hadn't been as loving as she'd hoped for, she at least had felt cared about. She'd wondered if her father had noticed that Nick had spent most of the evening talking to him instead of her.

She turned slightly and looked at him. His glasses were perched halfway down his nose and he looked over them at her, sadness in his own eyes. She shrugged. "It feels surreal," she said. She sighed. "I still can't believe she's actually gone."

He looked at her for a moment and then put his papers on the nightstand beside him. He reached out towards her. "Come here," he said. She hesitated only a second and then scrambled onto the bed and under the covers next to him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. "She was a great lady, your mother," he said. "She was always the great Rayna Jaymes."

Daphne nodded. "She was. But mostly she was just Mom."

Nick ran his hand up and down her arm. After a moment he said, "What do you remember most about her?"

She smiled. "She was fun," she said. "I mean, she was a mom and she did all the mom stuff, like scold us when we were bad or hug us when we were sad or celebrate with us when something great happened, but what I remember most was the fun." She looked at him. "Maddie and I went out on the road with her whenever we could. And she always made it fun. She'd let us dress up in her clothes and we'd sing with her on the bus or in her dressing room." She thought back to when Rayna had let them do her sound check in New York. "When I was nine, she surprised Maddie and me and let us do sound check. It was the most thrilling moment of my life right then. All the crew came to listen, even Juliette Barnes's crew, and it was so exciting. And getting to sing at the Opry and the Ryman. Not everyone gets to do that kind of thing and Mom always made it so special."

Nick kept rubbing her arm and she couldn't help but think it was more like something he'd do to a friend, instead of his wife. He turned towards her and said, "Those are great memories, Dee. She was a pretty down-to-earth lady, so it's not surprising things would have been pretty normal. But you and Maddie stayed home with your dad a lot, right?"

Daphne nodded. "We did. That was really the thing that was different about our lives, compared to our friends. But you know what? She was always there for recitals and shows and soccer games. She always worked her schedule around us." She leaned her head on Nick's shoulder. "I talked to her every day. I went to see her once a week. I'm going to miss that."

Nick leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." He then moved his arm and turned onto his side, after turning off his bedside lamp, and sliding down under the covers. Daphne sat where she was for a moment, a lump in her throat and tears pressing against the back of her eyes. Finally she moved back to her side of the bed and turned off her own light. She lay on her back, looking up towards the dark ceiling and felt the tears slide down the side of her face.


	3. Chapter 3

_**~Tandy Wyatt Hampton~**_

Tandy stood in her closet, wondering what the appropriate outfit might be for her sister's funeral. She somehow never thought Rayna would go before her, that she would end up as the last one left from their family. She ran her fingers over some of the dresses as she considered how full of life her sister always was. Whatever Rayna Jaymes had set her mind to, she typically achieved. Whether it was riding a bike or learning to swim or forging a chart-topping country music career. Rayna had been laser-focused on being a country music star and she hadn't let anything – or anyone – stop her. Even when their father had kicked her out of the house for following her dream, Rayna hadn't faltered once.

It didn't mean she'd always made the best decisions, or the right ones, but she had always been steadfast in looking forward and she usually came out on top. Tandy had always been proud of her little sister, watching her hard work pay off. She supposed this was really not any different. Rayna had lived for twelve years without the love of her life – her husband, Deacon Claybourne – and enough was enough. It was just one more thing she had set her mind on.

Rayna had gotten sick just after Christmas and couldn't seem to shake it. The morning after she'd gone out to the symphony with her granddaughter Lily, she hadn't been able to get out of bed. The doctor had sent her to the ER and she'd been admitted with pneumonia. At first it had seemed like she was recovering, but she relapsed, and then she seemed to have given up the fight. Tandy remembered that last night in the hospital. It had been late and Rayna had mostly been sleeping, but she'd opened her eyes a little after ten.

 _Tandy smiled at her sister. "Hey, babe, how you doing?" she asked._

 _Rayna smiled back, but her eyes looked weary. "I'm tired," she whispered, her voice thready and weak. "So tired."_

 _Tandy reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "Your doctor was telling me you should be getting better. What's going on?" She was pretty sure she knew what Rayna would say._

 _Her sister looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry. Don't mean to disappoint you." Her voice was still weak._

 _Tandy sighed a little and felt a lump in her throat. "But I'm just not ready to lose you," she said, her voice catching._

 _Rayna slowly nodded. Her hair was still golden red, with a bit of gray mixed in, and wispy around her face. "I know," she said, smiling sadly at her sister. "But…you know."_

 _Tandy bit her lip. "Yeah, I do."_

 _Rayna looked straight ahead, a dreamy look on her face. "I dreamt about him last night. Or this morning maybe. I felt like I was with him, Tandy." She looked back at her sister. Tandy could see tears glistening in her eyes._

" _You know the girls still need you." They all did. Rayna was the strong one, always had been. Had gotten them through all the obstacles of life._

 _Rayna shook her head. "The girls are fine. They have someone to take care of them. It's you. I know that."_

 _Tandy sat up straight and gave her a ghost of a smile. "Okay, yes, it's me. I need you. And I would miss you terribly. I've gotten used to you, you know."_

 _Rayna brushed her fingers against her sister's palm. "I know. But it feels like it's time." She closed her eyes for a second and then reopened them, and they looked clear and bright. "He's waiting for me. And I need_ him _."_

There hadn't been much left to say. Tandy had sat there as Rayna drifted back to sleep. She watched her and held her hand. A little after midnight, it felt like something had just quietly pulled away. She looked at her sister's face and she saw peace there. She realized then that Rayna had stopped breathing and she had quietly cried for a bit. When she was able to regain her composure, she had gotten up from beside the bed. She had first called the nurses' station and then she had called first Maddie, then Daphne.

She sighed and then she looked back at the dresses in her closet. She ended up pulling out a beautiful orchid colored dress, with long sleeves and a high neckline. Rayna would not have wanted everyone dressed in black and sad. Tandy knew her sister was happy now and she would expect all of them to celebrate with her, even though she would also know that might be hard at first.

It was going to be hard to say goodbye.

* * *

Tandy was dressed and ready thirty minutes before her great-niece Lily would be by to pick her up for the drive to the church. She sat in her living room, overlooking a beautiful downtown Nashville view, as well as the pedestrian bridge across the Cumberland River, sipping on a cup of tea. The day had dawned clear and sunny, but still chilly. She thought back to the day they had buried Deacon. It had been cold but overcast and the sky periodically spit out bursts of snow flurries. It had seemed appropriate for her sister's almost always brooding husband and it had matched Rayna's mood that day as well. But this day was practically picture perfect, as though Rayna had planned it, along with the rest of the service.

The service and burial would end the three days of sadness that seemed to hover over all of them, although she knew they would all still miss Rayna and would continue to have moments of grief, for weeks and months to come. It had been comforting to see all the people, over the past couple days, who had loved Rayna. She was still struggling with the idea that she wouldn't see her again, at least not in this world.

As she thought about the various guests they'd had, her thoughts landed on Teddy Conrad. It really wasn't surprising that he was there and yet she'd found herself unexpectedly pleased he'd made the effort. She and Teddy had known each other since graduate school, although once he and Rayna divorced, she had little occasion to cross paths with him. She'd seen him at Deacon's funeral, of course, but had not really thought much about him since then.

" _I'm really glad you came, Teddy," she said with a warm smile, when she saw him at Maddie's._

 _He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek, smiling back. "Daphne called me," he said. "But I would have come even if she hadn't asked me."_

 _Tandy took a deep breath. "I'm glad you could be here for her," she said, thoughtfully. She knew, even though Daphne hadn't said anything, that things weren't quite right between her niece and her husband. For two people who'd been so much in love when they'd gotten married, it seemed as though it had been a long time since she'd seen that connection between the two of them._

 _Teddy looked at her knowingly. "Are things okay between Daphne and Nick?" he asked her then._

 _She raised her eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"_

 _He shrugged. "I don't know. Something just seems, I don't know, different. But then I'm not around enough to really know for sure." He paused for a moment. "I just want her to be happy."_

 _She reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sure it's just everything with Rayna passing," she said. "Nick was crazy about Rayna and I think it's just been tough for all of them."_

 _He smiled and nodded. "I'm sure you're right," he said. He shook his head then. "I still can't believe she's gone. It seems impossible."_

" _I know." She looked at him. "When was the last time you talked to her?"_

" _Probably when she called to tell me Lily was getting married." He sighed. "Maddie didn't really include me in her life, but Rayna always made sure I knew what was happening." He looked sad then. "I know I'm not really their grandfather, but I still think of Maddie as my daughter."_

 _Tandy felt an ache in her heart. She reached for Teddy's hand and said, "Teddy, you were a good father. And a good husband. I know Rayna always appreciated everything you did for her when she really needed it. Always know she cared about you."_

She sighed. Teddy had come into her sister's life at a real crossroads for her. She knew Rayna often questioned her decisions back then. It had cost her both physically and emotionally when the truth of Maddie's paternity had come to light. It had taken time for the wounds to heal for all of them and it was hard not to second guess. But Teddy Conrad had been a port in a storm for Rayna and Tandy knew she'd be touched that Teddy was here for their daughter.

Just then a knock came at the door and she pushed up from her chair to go let Lily in.

* * *

Tandy settled herself in the backseat, behind Jack, so she could see Lily. She had never played favorites between Maddie and Daphne, but she thought, with the skip in generation, she could get away with it now. And Lily was definitely her favorite. She was the one who reminded her so much of Rayna. She smiled to herself, thinking she looked more like Daniel than she did her Wyatt-Claybourne roots. But she was really all Rayna – creative, upbeat, high energy. She was a performer, just like her grandmother, but she leaned more towards the arts. She'd been a ballerina as a young girl and moved into painting and finally decorating, which she'd turned into a very successful career. In fact, Lily had decorated Tandy's apartment when she'd moved in and she couldn't be happier with it.

Lily turned in her seat to look at her great-aunt. "Mom said you were going to do a eulogy," she said.

Tandy made a face. "Oh, I hate that word," she said. "It sounds depressing." She reached into her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper she had folded neatly in thirds. "I might not be a songwriter like your grandmother was, or your mother, for that matter, but I think I can write a nice tribute." She smiled and then tucked it back in her purse.

Lily reached back for Tandy's hand and squeezed it. "I know it will be lovely," she said. She paused a moment. "What was she like as a little girl?"

Tandy smiled. "She was always happy and full of joy," she said, remembering the days before their mother died. "Our mom, your great-grandmother, was always making every day full of fun. We would go to the lake when the weather was warm and we'd play guitar and sing." She chuckled. "Or I should say Mom would play guitar and she and your grandmother would sing. I was never the singer in the family. But we would have fun and laugh and then we'd dance in the water." She looked at Lily. "You've always reminded me so much of her. Full of life and spunk and determination. Always looking for the good in others and making others happy."

Lily's eyes glistened with tears. "Thank you, Aunt Tandy. That really means the world to me," she said softly. She turned back to face out of the front windshield and they drove the rest of the way to the church in contemplative silence.

* * *

When Tandy entered the church, she saw Maddie up front. She made her way to her niece and then ran her hand up and down Maddie's back. "You doing okay?" she asked.

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, I guess." She sighed. "Everything's set." She reached out and hugged her aunt. "I feel like I can't breathe."

Tandy hugged her back. "I know." She stepped back then and took Maddie's hands. "These things are never easy. But it will be over after today."

Maddie bit her lip and looked away, then back at Tandy. "I feel like I disappointed Mom."

Tandy frowned. "Oh, sweetie, of course you didn't. You might have done things she didn't agree with, when you were young, but she was not disappointed in _you_. You were so much like her, you know. And she knew that." She paused. "I'm going to tell you this, but I need you to understand that she loved you and your sister the same. You both came from her and there's no difference. But you? You were always special. Because you came from Deacon. And because of how she felt about him, she had different hopes and dreams for you."

Maddie raised her eyebrows. "I didn't think you really liked Dad much."

Tandy smiled. "Well, he was definitely an acquired taste. And it took a long time for me to see him differently. But he always loved your mom. And after they were married, I could see how happy he made her and that made me happy." She rubbed Maddie's arm. "I know she wanted to be with him and she knew you girls were taken care of. And she was ready. We'll miss her, but she's with your dad. I believe that."

Maddie nodded. "I do too." She hugged Tandy again. "Thanks, Aunt Tandy."

* * *

It was still more than forty-five minutes before the service would start, so Tandy took a seat in the first pew to wait. Others were milling around, checking on the arrangements and the flowers, or talking in small groups. She sat back against the hard mahogany wood pew and closed her eyes, her hands folded on top of the purse in her lap. For the briefest of moments she thought she felt a hand on her arm, as though Rayna were sitting next to her, telling her it would be okay. She breathed in deeply.

She had come back to Nashville almost ten years after she'd left. In the aftermath of Lamar Wyatt's death and the aborted Federal investigation, along with the revelation that their father had had a hand in their mother's death, Tandy had escaped Nashville. She'd told Rayna she needed to find out who Tandy Hampton was, and that was true, but she really needed to put all the darkness in her life behind her. She'd felt herself spinning out of control and she had come close to losing herself in the process, so moving across the country and making a clean break with the past had seemed like the right choice.

It was a healing time and she had truly not planned to return home, but when Rayna had called and asked her to come back and take on the financial reins at Highway 65, she'd decided she was ready to go back to Nashville. Much had changed since she'd been gone – Maddie and Daphne were both grown up, Rayna was ready to take on a different role in her company, and she wanted more time with her husband – and Tandy had decided to make a fresh start when she returned. She promised herself to have a more open mind, about everything. And that had included making peace with her sister's marriage.

What she'd found, when she returned, was that both she and Deacon were ready to put the past behind them and build on the present. She learned to appreciate how he took care of Rayna and how happy he made her sister. When Maddie and Daniel had Daisy, she'd watched him become a loving and devoted grandfather, and got to watch him be the father that Daphne had needed, in the absence of her own. It had surprised her when, over time, she and Deacon actually became friends. Perhaps they would never be best friends, but she learned to genuinely like him and enjoy his company, and she believed he felt the same about her.

She was happy she'd come home and happy she'd had all the years she had with her family. She and Bucky had tried to reignite the passion they'd once had with each other, but while it was pleasant and comfortable, it really never was the same. When he retired from Highway 65, he had moved to Florida and then she'd heard, a couple years later, that he'd passed away from heart failure. She'd been sad to lose him in her life, even more so now that Deacon and Rayna were gone as well.

"Aunt Tandy?" She opened her eyes and looked into Daphne's worried face. "Are you okay?"

Tandy blinked and then she smiled. She reached out and patted Daphne's hand. "Of course. I was just thinking about your mother," she said.

Daphne slid in next to her. "Are you sure?" She still looked concerned.

Tandy frowned then. "Oh, for heaven's sake. Old people nod off every once in a while. No need to worry." She smiled then. "You really don't need to worry, sweetheart. I promise."

Daphne breathed out. "Okay then," she said. "Just let me know if you need anything." She hesitated just a moment and then stood back up.

Tandy looked up at her. "I'll be fine," she said. "Thanks for checking on me though." She watched Daphne walk back over to Maddie. _You raised good girls, Rayna. They certainly are your legacy._ Just then, Teddy walked up and sat down next to her. She slid her arm through his and they sat together in companionable silence as they waited for the service to start.

* * *

Tandy walked slowly up to the pulpit. Lily had started to help her, but she had frowned and waved her off. She might be eighty-six years old, but she was still able to get around without a problem. She looked out over the full church, which brought tears to her eyes and caused her to breathe in deeply. She took a moment to unfold her paper and smooth out the creases, buying herself a little time. When she had regained her composure, she smiled sadly. "Rayna Jaymes was always the star in our family and not just because she was a giant in the music industry," she started.

She cleared her throat then, feeling her emotions well up again. "Rayna never did anything by half – she dreamed big and she loved the same way. She fought for her dreams and she fought for love. She succeeded as an artist and as an executive and has a wonderful legacy to show for it at Highway 65. Her dream was to be a mom and have a family, even though she had a busy life that wasn't always conducive for that. She had two daughters, Maddie and Daphne, whom she loved beyond measure. She was so proud of both of them" – she smiled at Maddie and Daphne – "and she succeeded in having the family she so wanted. She was a loving grandmother to Daisy and Lily and Michael and was proud of all three of them. But most importantly, she finally succeeded in having the life she always wanted with the love of her life."

She looked down at the casket sitting at the front of the church and swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat. She was determined not to cry, at least not here. "Love and family were the most important things to my sister. She was just twelve when we lost our mom and I think she lost a lot of her sense of family then. She was always trying to find that again, first with Deacon, then with Teddy, and finally with Deacon again. She wanted her daughters to have the kind of family life we didn't have and I think she mostly succeeded at that. She wished, more than anything, for Maddie and Daphne to have that kind of love and family for themselves. And they do – Maddie with Daniel and Daphne with Nick." She glanced over at Nick then, hoping he understood her message. "Love and family – that's her true legacy."

She paused for a moment. "The scripture we heard today, I believe, speaks to how Rayna was feeling at this point in her life. She had gone twelve years without her husband and she was weary. _The Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint._ If you believe in God and heaven – and I do – then you know, like I do, that Deacon was waiting for her and that they are together for eternity – the way they always planned. So while we here on earth may be sad at losing her, she has eternal joy. She is no longer weak and no longer weary." She took a deep breath. "My sister is soaring with the eagles. Godspeed on your journey, Rayna." She choked on the final words and willed the tears away as she looked out over the crowd gathered that day. _Farewell, my beautiful sister. I will carry you in my heart always._

* * *

Tandy walked into the den at Maddie's house. It was mostly just family and very close friends. She stood at the door and looked around, thinking about how Rayna would have loved this type of gathering. Maddie and Daniel were talking to Juliette and Avery. Cadence was holding court with Daisy and Lily, while their husbands huddled close to the television, watching a muted football game. She smiled as she watched Daphne, Teddy, and Michael sitting in one of the small conversation areas that were the hallmarks of Maddie and Daniel's entertaining style. Daphne and Teddy were listening as Michael was animatedly telling them some story.

Then her eyes lit on Nick, over by the French doors that led out to the courtyard, talking into his phone, waving his free hand wildly. She watched for a moment, frowning, and then she walked over to him, just as he finished the call. She smiled and slid her arm through his. "Hey, Nick," she said congenially. "What are you doing over here all by yourself?"

He gave her one of his most charming smiles, which would have annoyed her if she hadn't seen that it was genuine. She had adored him almost as much as Rayna had. "Just waiting for you, Tandy," he said. He took a deep breath. "I can't believe Rayna's gone," he said.

She nodded. "I know. I've been able to sort of put it out of my head the last couple days, with everything going on. But now that we have to go back to living, I know I'm going to miss her terribly." She smiled up at him. "You know who else is going to have a hard time?" He raised his eyebrows. "Your wife."

"Yes, I know. I think it already is hard on her."

She gave him a knowing look. "She's really going to need you, Nick. She always tries to be strong, just like her mama always did, but she needs someone to lean on." She raised her eyebrows and decided to just say what was on her mind. "Whatever got you two off the rails, you need to fix it. Be there for her." She slid her arm back out and took a step back. "Okay?"

She could see a flicker of pain in his eyes and she hoped he took her words to heart. He just nodded without saying a word and she gave him one more look and then turned and walked away.

 _ **A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews. Much appreciated.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**~Luke Wheeler~**_

Luke stood in front of the mirror and adjusted his tie. His wife walked up behind him and ran her hands down his arms to smooth out his jacket. He gave her a cockeyed smile. "You sure you don't wanna come?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I didn't even know Rayna Jaymes," she said. "Plus she was _your_ ex."

"Ex- _fiancée_. Let's be accurate."

She smiled. "Ex-fiancée, then. But no. You and Colt go. Y'all were the ones who knew her."

He turned and kissed her. "Alright then. I'll see you in a couple hours."

* * *

As the service proceeded, Luke found himself not paying close attention to all the eulogies, merely thinking back on his own history with Rayna Jaymes.

 _He first met her at a state fair, when they were both on that circuit. He'd heard about her and made a point of showing up for her set. There was lots of buzz around Rayna Jaymes then. She had her first single on country radio, which was modestly successful, and had released her first album. He thought some of the appeal was probably that she was pretty as a picture and busty and she had long, lean legs that she showed off in short skirts. But she was more than that, he saw, with her big voice and beautiful melodies._

 _He knew she wrote most of her songs with her boyfriend, a dark haired guy who played guitar for her and looked menacingly at anyone who stared too long at her. Luke had already been on the receiving end of that dark look. Deacon was the boyfriend's name. Not very talkative, but surly when he was drunk, which happened often. He'd seen them together and knew the man was possessive, although Rayna didn't seem to mind._

 _She only had eyes for Deacon, which Luke thought was a shame._

Luke pulled away from his musings for a moment, as Juliette Barnes was speaking. The two of them had toured together for several years and he still felt a real fondness for her. They had spoken briefly on the church steps, after warmly embracing. He hadn't seen Juliette in at least twenty years and it had been good to reconnect for a few minutes.

As happy as he was now, remarried to his ex-wife for nearly forty years, Rayna breaking off their engagement all those years ago still hurt, whenever he thought about it. But once Maddie and Colt had broken up, he hadn't had much occasion to cross paths with her, so that pain had mostly faded. _She's Deacon's girl. She's always been Deacon's girl._ He didn't necessarily understand it completely, but it had been true. In fairness, she hadn't immediately run back into Claybourne's arms after she broke things off with him, but it had been inevitable that she would. And they had been happy, according to everything he'd heard.

He'd hated how she had defended Deacon in the early years, how, no matter what he did, she always forgave him. He remembered the night Deacon hadn't shown up for a show and she didn't know where he was. He'd offered to fill in that night, and then he'd fallen head over heels for her. He'd wanted to rescue her from the life she'd chosen, sure it couldn't be what she really wanted for herself. But turned out it was. And no matter what else she did – marrying Teddy Conrad, almost marrying him – she couldn't get Deacon out of her heart.

The truth was, she had always felt like that unattainable goddess to him, from the moment he'd laid eyes on her. When he'd finally met her, he'd fallen head over heels in love, much like he suspected Deacon had. The difference was that she had fallen in love with Deacon and not with him. When he had finally gotten the chance to woo her, he'd practically pinched himself every day he was with her. And when she had agreed to marry him, he had been over the moon. But, of course, it wasn't meant to be, and it had taken a long time for him to get over Rayna Jaymes.

He felt a tear track down his cheek and he reached up to surreptiously wipe it away. He thought about what her sister had said – _if you believe in God and heaven…they are together for eternity, the way they always planned_ – and he knew that was true. He had to admit he'd never seen her happier than when she was with Deacon Claybourne. Having rediscovered true love again himself, he knew that was a gift.

 _ **~Colt Wheeler~**_

As he drove over to pick up his father, Colt wondered about the wisdom of going to Rayna Jaymes' funeral. It wasn't himself he worried about, it was his father. Luke had fallen hard for Rayna back in the day and had been devastated when she'd shown up the morning of the wedding and called it off. It had taken him a while to get past the pain of it. Colt understood it a little, having been unceremoniously dumped by Rayna's daughter Maddie in the midst of her bid for emancipation.

On the way to the church, Luke was quiet, mostly staring out the passenger side window. Colt glanced over at him periodically, but didn't try to make him talk. When he'd parked the car, Luke made no move to open the door. "Dad?" he said.

Luke turned to look at him. "What?"

"We're here."

Luke leaned forward and looked out the window. "Yeah, I guess we are." He sat back and seemed to slump just a bit. He shook his head and then looked at Colt. "I can't believe she's gone. I mean, I hadn't seen her in years, maybe since Deacon's funeral, but somehow I didn't expect this." He sighed. "I still think of her as that woman I almost married. Every time I saw her that was the image in my head." He smiled crookedly. "But we all get old. I mean, damn, I'm eighty-seven. Pretty damn old, if you ask me."

Colt looked at his father. Luke hadn't really aged all that well. When his career had hit the skids, he'd fought it hard. He hadn't wanted to become a 'legacy artist', the term he always used to refer to those he considered has-beens. He didn't want to live out his life singing at the Grand Ole Opry and so he'd walked away, not without an 'up yours' kind of speech as he did. He'd softened some, with time, but he still was bitter about the end of his career and the end of his label. It hadn't set well with him that Highway 65 had taken over Wheelin' Dealin's artists and catalog, but he had eventually stopped brooding about it. And apparently he'd gotten over his irritation with Rayna Jaymes over it, since he was here at her funeral.

He opened his car door. "So, Dad, let's go in," he said.

"Oh, okay, son. Let's do that," Luke replied, and he opened his door then and slowly got out.

It was still chilly, although not as cold as the week before. Colt worried a little. Luke always seemed to be cold these days and being outside in the real cold probably didn't help. He watched his father seem to shrug down into his coat and scarf, jamming his hands in his pockets. He walked around the car and slid his hand through Luke's arm, grabbing him at the elbow. "Come on, let's get in where it's warm."

* * *

Luke chose a spot about halfway back in the church. The sanctuary was already filling and he didn't want to be too close to the front or too close to the back. Colt smiled to himself. In the old days, Luke would have wanted to be the center of attention and would have strutted up to the front and chatted up everyone around. But these days he'd mellowed. Some of that, Colt was sure, had to do with his remarriage to Colt and Sage's mother. She had always kept him grounded and humble, which had a lot to do with why he'd divorced her when Colt and Sage were young. He hadn't liked being low key and, when his public persona started to become his private one as well, Sarah had had enough.

He knew his mother was not thrilled that Luke wanted to go to Rayna's funeral. She did get him to agree not to go to the burial, since it was so cold. Colt had been a little surprised she still had kind of an edge about her when it came to Rayna.

" _What are you worried about, Mom?" he asked her. "All of that was so long ago."_

 _She had looked at him a little sharply. "Sweetheart, everyone has that one person who's like that unattainable goal. That's who Rayna was for your father. She was someone he couldn't have, because she was in love with Deacon Claybourne, so he kind of worshipped her from afar. When he finally had his shot, it was almost inevitable that he would come crashing back to earth. I just worry about him, you know. I worry that it will bring all that back for him."_

 _Colt frowned. "You don't think he still carries a torch for her, do you?"_

 _She shook her head. "No, not really. But she was who he wanted for a long time. I guess, now that she's gone, there's nothing to worry about anymore. Not that I was, really, but she was kind of a shining star for him." She took Colt's hand. "Thanks for taking him. I just couldn't do it."_

 _He smiled at her. "Sure, Mom. No problem."_

Luke was settled in and Colt looked around. He'd been long gone from Nashville and didn't recognize many of the people in the church. He saw Maddie up at the front. Except for the fact that she was obviously older, she looked much the same as she had the last time he'd seen her. He looked down at his father. "Dad, I'm going to go say hello to Maddie," he said. "Do you want to come?"

Luke looked pensive for a moment and then shook his head. "Nah, son, you go on. I'll be fine here." He smiled up at his son.

Colt smiled back. "Okay. I won't be long." He walked out of the pew to the central aisle and headed for Maddie. She turned and looked at him as he approached. At first she looked confused, but then he saw recognition cross her face and she smiled.

"Colt Wheeler," she said, sounding happy to see him again. "I didn't expect to see you."

He shrugged. "I brought my dad." He nodded back towards where Luke was sitting. "But I was hoping I'd get a chance to say hello to you." He suddenly realized how unfeeling that sounded. "Oh, and pay my respects, of course. Your mom was always really nice to me."

Maddie smiled a little sadly. "Considering at the beginning she didn't really like you very much, I think she did finally come around."

He reached out and touched her arm. "I wish I'd known her better."

Maddie sighed. "I wish you had too. Thanks for coming though." She widened her eyes. "Oh, and for bringing Luke." Colt nodded and then started to turn. "Will the two of you come by the house afterwards?" Maddie said, and he turned back.

He shook his head. "I don't think so. Dad gets tired easily and going in and out of the cold is tough on him. I need to get him home after the service. We're going to have to skip the burial too."

She nodded. "Well, thanks again for coming. It means a lot."

He took a deep breath. He thought back to when they were teenagers, when they met because their parents were dating. He hadn't thought much of her at first, at least until he heard the song she posted on YouTube. As complicated as things had seemed back then, they were infinitely simpler than they were today. "It was really good to see you," he said. "I wish we hadn't lost touch."

She looked at him for a moment. Her eyes were sad as she smiled a little. "Everything turns out the way it's supposed to," she said, finally. She reached for his hand. "All my memories are good ones."

He smiled. "Mine too." He watched as she took her hand away and, with one last smile, she walked away from him.

* * *

After the service, Luke was quiet in the car, much as he had been on the ride over. Colt kept thinking back to seeing Maddie. He hadn't thought about her in years. They'd both obviously moved on long ago. He was a little surprised at how awkward it had felt to see her, to talk to her. It was almost as though he'd never known her. They had drifted apart, both their lives turned upside down. In the aftermath of Jeff Fordham's death and the initial cover-up of Juliette's involvement, he'd felt disconnected from nearly everything and everybody. His relationships suffered, most notably his relationship with Maddie. But she was going through her own turmoil, which had led to her emancipation. In the midst of all that, she broke up with him and they never reconnected.

Surprisingly, though, he still saw her as that young, fresh-faced girl he'd first met. Back when she was wide-eyed with curiosity and charmingly naïve about almost everything. It didn't matter how many years had passed, in his mind she hadn't changed. Even though he was happy with his life, and he hoped she was with hers, seeing her again had made him wonder what if, for just a moment.

Just then he heard his father sniff and he turned to check on him, worried that the cold had gotten to him anyway. He was surprised to see tears on his father's cheeks. "Dad?" he said. Luke looked down at his lap. "Are you okay?"

Luke sighed deeply and worked his lip for a moment. He looked up and over at Colt briefly and then out the front window. "Son, I really messed things up with your mom, back when you and Sage were kids," he said, his voice quiet. "I wanted so badly to be a star, to make up for everything I never had growing up. I thought being a cowboy would be my ticket, and it was, but I got so caught up in it that I lost my sense of me. I forgot my history, with the family I grew up with and the family I made with your mom and you kids. The fame was more important, being on stage, the fans, the platinum albums and the awards. The money. And I lost everything that mattered back then."

Colt frowned. "But you got it all back, Dad."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I did. But I never shoulda given it up to start with." He looked at Colt then. "I really thought, back then, that Rayna was who I wanted. It was sweet and real and I remember thinking that it felt like I was living a dream. But we were both looking for something we couldn't have with each other. We kinda hid behind Ruke or Layna or whatever we were and just denied our hearts." He sighed. "It hurt like hell when it was over, but we both got to get back to what was really important. What really mattered." He looked at Colt again.

Colt nodded. "I think that was her real legacy, you know? Not being afraid to go for what you really want." He gave his father a tiny smile.

Luke smiled back. "I think you just nailed it, buddy."


	5. Chapter 5

_**~Scarlett O'Connor Scott~**_

Gunnar could sleep through anything. That was something Scarlett had discovered long ago. It served him well when the kids were young and would cry during the night. She would have to punch his arm to get him to wake up and take his turn. So it was that night, when the phone rang after 1 AM. She had gotten up to take the call, walking out into the living room. She sat there, long after she'd disconnected, letting the tears roll down her cheeks. When she finally crawled back into bed, she put her hand on Gunnar's shoulder and shook him hard.

"Mm," he mumbled, trying to roll away from her.

"Gunnar," she said insistently. "Wake up."

He groaned and then sighed. "What?" he asked, his voice slurred with sleep. He looked up at her, his eyes barely open.

"Rayna's gone," she said, her voice catching on the words.

He pushed up to a sitting position, his eyes fully open now. "What?" he said, his voice stronger.

She sighed. "Maddie just called. Rayna passed away about an hour ago."

After a moment, he slid back down on the bed and pulled her into his arms. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry," he said.

She'd held it together while she was on the phone with Maddie, held it together as she sat on the couch letting the news and its import sink in, but now, in the warm embrace of her husband, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She sobbed, deep sobs, sobs that made her chest hurt and her head hurt. She was vaguely aware of Gunnar's comforting arms around her and his soft soothing murmurs against her ear. He held her tightly and let her cry until she was exhausted. She took deep breaths, calming herself in the aftermath, clutching Gunnar's t-shirt in her fists. Then she finally said, "My heart is completely broken."

* * *

It was hard for her to believe she'd actually fallen back asleep, but when she woke again she was in bed by herself. The sun was shining brightly, although filtered through the curtains in the bedroom. She sat up and instantly she was overcome with a wave of sadness. She breathed in deeply to calm herself and then, pushing back the covers, got out of bed and went to the kitchen, where she could smell coffee brewing. Gunnar was sitting at the table, hunched over a notebook, sipping on his coffee. He looked up when she walked in and smiled sadly. "Hey," he said.

She tried to smile back. "Hey." She walked over and poured herself a mug of coffee, then joined him at the table. She reached for his hand and threaded her fingers through his, holding on tightly. "I can't believe I actually went back to sleep."

"I think you needed it. You were pretty wrung out."

She nodded. "Anyone call?"

"I talked to the kids. And Daniel." Scarlett perked up. "He said Maddie and Daphne were going to the funeral home to take care of arrangements. And then everyone's gonna gather at their house later in the afternoon just to, you know, be together."

Her eyes filled with tears. "I think it'll be good us being together." She let out a deep, shuddering sigh. "I just can't believe they're both gone now." Gunnar squeezed her hand. "I never thought nothing would hurt more than losing Deacon, but this just…well, it rocks me. Rayna was always so good to me. Treated me like family, always. I owe her so much."

Gunnar nodded. "We both do."

"We do, don't we?" She put her other hand on top of their joined hands. "No other label woulda let me walk away after I had my breakdown. She coulda forced me to do what I agreed to, kinda like that label tried to do to Maddie, but that was what was so good about Rayna. She understood and she protected people."

Gunnar sat back. "She sure changed my life when she signed us to Highway 65." He smiled. "Or, I should probably say, when you agreed to be signed by Highway 65."

Scarlett made a face. "What a crazy day that was. Me and you was fighting. The news about Deacon's cancer got out and that was hard on Rayna. But you'd never have known it. She was so focused on us. Taking care of us." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm really gonna miss her."

* * *

It had been good to be with family, at Maddie's. It had reminded Scarlett of how they'd all gathered together after Deacon died. Just like then, everyone still seemed a little shell-shocked. Not hearing Rayna laugh, not seeing her move from person to person, chatting them up as she always did, seemed wrong. Scarlett wandered into the library and sat down on one of the window seats, drawing her legs up under her. She leaned her head back and remembered the day of Deacon's funeral.

 _When she hung up the phone after talking to Rayna, Scarlett couldn't breathe at first. She gasped for air, panicked, thinking she was going to die too, until finally she gulped in a breath. When she finally could make her lungs work, she slowly slid down to her knees. She heard an otherworldly moan that she finally realized was coming from her._

 _Deacon was dead._

 _Gunnar appeared in front of her, his eyes wild with fear for her. She couldn't speak, just kept making anguished noises, her hands shaking. She barely croaked out the words "Deacon dead" before he knelt in front of her and took her in his arms. She remembered sobbing then until she was literally sick to her stomach._

 _At the funeral she had a headache she'd had since the day Deacon died. She'd been mostly numb since her initial breakdown. She and Rayna had cried together, but she had tried to stay busy to keep from having time to think about living the rest of her life without her uncle._

 _Gunnar had commented once that she was like a whirling dervish and that it was okay to just be still, but she had snapped his head off and he let her be after that._

 _The funeral was filled with music, songs he'd written. That had been Rayna's request and while Scarlett had worried it would feel too sad and maudlin, she was surprised at how comforted she felt._

 _She was afraid she wouldn't be able to read the words she'd written and, in the end, she had just spoken from her heart._

" _Deacon Claybourne was my uncle, but he was so much more than that to me. He was always there when I needed him and, as I got older, he was more of a father figure to me than just an uncle. I would never have made it in the music business if it hadn't been for Deacon. Without his support and encouragement, and sometimes some tough love, I would have probably never tried, or stuck with it. When I wanted to go home to Mississippi, back when I blew up my career, he told me I was crazy, but he didn't stop me. And when I came back, he didn't tell me 'I told you so'. He just welcomed me back._

" _Deacon was a man who was chased by demons for a long time, but he finally figured it out. He and Rayna had probably the greatest love story I ever knew and I think he finally figured out he deserved to be happy. And he was. He had the family he always wanted. His wife. His daughters. His grandchildren. I never seen him as content and happy as he was once he found that._

" _Deacon and Rayna were my role models, both for my career and my life. I don't know what I'm gonna do now without him to rely on when I need advice or an encouraging word. I know my sadness ain't nothing compared to Rayna's or Maddie's or Daphne's. But, next to my husband," – she nodded towards Gunnar – "he was the best man I knew and I will miss him every single day for the rest of my life." She looked over at the casket, draped in flowers. "Godspeed, Deacon. I hope you know what a difference you made for so many people and how much we all loved you." She touched her fingers to her lips and then tears welled up in her eyes. She took a deep breath and then she walked down the steps and sat next to Gunnar, leaning her head on his shoulder._

She sighed and then drew her legs up to her chest, laying her head down on the top of her knees. She wasn't sure how they were all going to find the courage to go through this again.

* * *

Scarlett felt drained, as they drove back home in the dark. The streets were mostly quiet and she was too. She could feel Gunnar look over at her and she looked at him, smiling gratefully, knowing he understood she needed the silence. He took her hand and just held it and she felt soothed. As they pulled up in front of the house, she thought she could see someone on the steps. When she got out of the car, the figure stood up slowly. Suddenly Scarlett knew who it was and practically ran up the walkway and threw her arms around her childhood best friend.

"How do you always know when to come?" she cried.

"I can just feel when you need me," Zoey said, hugging Scarlett close and rubbing her back. "And I knew this was one of those times."

* * *

Scarlett stood at the front of the church, in the same place where she'd stood twelve years earlier at Deacon's funeral. She looked out over the crowd and focused first on Gunnar and her children, then looked over at Maddie and Daphne, and finally Zoey. She breathed in and tried to smile. "I first met Rayna Jaymes when I was a newborn. Course, I don't remember that, but I know she and my Uncle Deacon come down to Natchez when I was born. I think Rayna must have been seventeen or eighteen then, so pretty young herself. I saw her a couple more times when I was little, but I was too young to really remember those times either. And then she and Deacon split up, turned out for a very long time, and I didn't see her again for years.

"I met her the last time when I was twenty-four years old. I had just moved to Nashville and Deacon invited me to the Opry to see her perform. I was so overwhelmed, because, you know, she was my role model. I had grown up singing her songs and I wanted to be just like her. She told me then I was family and she sure made me feel like that. Even when things weren't good between her and Deacon, she still looked out for me.

"Rayna and Deacon, they was a complicated but beautiful mess. Their story had more twists and turns than you can imagine, but at the center of it, always, was love. A deep, soul-changing love. Anyone could see it, in the way they looked at each other or how they held hands even. I wrote a song about them once, a long time ago. _I'm burned to ashes, split down the middle / If anyone asks it hurt just a little / I died inside the day I let you go / But I don't wanna let you, I cannot forget you, I will never let you know._ I think that's how they felt being apart. I think that's how Rayna's felt these past twelve years, without Deacon. You could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, feel it when you caught her alone.

"But this ain't supposed to be sad. What I really want to do is tell you what Rayna Jaymes meant to me. From the first time she heard me sing, she always had my back. She believed in me a hundred percent. Even when I let her down – and I did that big time – she looked out for me. She cared about _me_. I know it cost her a lot to let me go, but it was more important to her not to force me to do something I couldn't. That's when I knew for sure I'd walk to the ends of the earth for her.

"She always made you feel like you were the only person in her world at that moment. She was nurturing – with her daughters, with her artists. And she was always your champion. I don't think nothing was more special than seeing her standing on the side stage at a concert cheering you on like she was your number one fan. She had that ability to make you feel like you could move mountains. And then you did, because she truly believed you could.

"I think I was always a little bit in awe of Rayna. Even though she truly was my family, after she and Deacon got back together, she was still also the great Rayna Jaymes. My idol, from when I was a little girl. I still always wanted to be like her. I still do. I've never known anyone with more grace and kindness than Rayna, nobody who would give you a second chance like she would, letting the past be the past.

"She was the strongest person I knew. She knew everyone was depending on her and, even when she might have liked to be taken care of, she took care of everyone else. There wasn't nobody quite like Rayna Jaymes and there probably never will be again. I'm going to miss her, but I'm truly glad I knew her and got to be part of her family." Tears welled up in her eyes. "There's an old song that kind of sums up how I feel right now. It goes, _I will see you again / This is not where it ends / I will carry you with me / Til I see you again_." She choked on the last words. "That's how I feel today. I'll see you again, Rayna, and until then, I carry you in my heart."

She stood there for a moment, looking out at all the people who had come to pay their respects to Rayna. She felt uplifted by that, even as her heart ached with sadness. She took it in and smiled a little, then took a deep breath and headed back down the steps, to take her place next to Gunnar. And then she leaned her head on his shoulder and grasped his hand tightly.


	6. Chapter 6

_**~Teddy Conrad~**_

Teddy hadn't hesitated to come back to Nashville for Rayna's funeral, when Daphne called him in the middle of the night. Not like he had for Deacon's. Even after all those years, he couldn't get used to Deacon taking his place. He and Rayna had stayed in touch, because of the girls. When he got out of prison, he'd gone first to Atlanta, then to Chicago. He'd hated being so far from Daphne, but he knew he could never go back to Nashville and being farther away meant he had a chance to make a new life for himself. Deacon had seemed to take on the father role with both girls, which had hurt. But he had swallowed his pride and worked to accept that proximity mattered. He'd never been able to completely get over the jealousy that had always been there though.

He hadn't been in Nashville since Deacon's funeral. He'd been hesitant to come, but Daphne had asked him to and so he had. He hadn't expected it to hurt so much, watching Rayna grieve for her husband. They had never talked much about her marriage, essentially by silent agreement. Of all the men she could have gotten involved with, or married, Deacon was the one who got under his skin. He told himself it was because he knew how much Deacon had hurt her in the past, but the truth was, he'd never really completely gotten over her. Part of why he had divorced her was because the shadow of Deacon loomed large over their marriage. When the truth had come out about Maddie, it had really sealed the deal.

After he hung up from talking with Daphne, he sat on the edge of his bed. His heart felt heavy in his chest. He realized tears were trailing down his cheeks. He breathed in and out and then he started to sob. Rayna had not been the only woman in his life, but she had been the one he had always loved. No matter the paths their lives took them, she was the one who had stayed in his heart.

And now she was gone.

* * *

He came late to the viewing. He didn't feel it was his place to be there the entire time. He wasn't Rayna's family, after all. Not really. As the cab wound its way through the darkened streets, he felt wistful. He'd had the city in the palm of his hand. He was a popular mayor, considering a run for statewide office. He certainly wasn't a stranger to shady dealings and back office machinations, but he was powerful enough to keep that hidden. At least, until he'd met Jeff Fordham. That's when things began to go sideways for him. He closed his eyes. He tried hard not to think about those days. He'd been out of prison a long time and he had pushed that as far into the dark recesses of his mind as he could.

He breathed in and opened his eyes again. Nashville had changed tremendously since he'd been gone. It had become one of the most powerful cities in the country, moving well beyond its country music beginnings. It was a music capitol these days, a musical juggernaut encompassing not just one genre but all, as well as a service industry leader. He shook his head and smiled to himself. He would not want to be the mayor these days. Back in his time, Nashville was still small enough to be manageable. Not anymore. He did believe he had contributed to some of the beginning of what the city would ultimately become, but he also knew that recognition would have been lost in the wake of his scandalous ending.

When he got to the funeral home, he paid the cab driver and then got out, closing the door behind him. He stood on the sidewalk and watched the cab drive off into the night. He breathed in deeply, shivering in the chilly air. He turned to look at the building in front of him, still having a hard time believing Rayna was really gone. Finally he headed up to the front door and, pausing just a second, he opened the door and stepped in.

All the lights were on and he could hear the dull murmur of the crowd that had come to pay respects. He hoped that most of the people who would have attended had left, leaving fewer people for him to have to face. He slowly walked down the hallway and found the room. He stood at the door and looked around. It was mostly family still there, but there were also others he didn't know, who he suspected were in the music industry.

"Dad!" He turned to see Daphne calling for him, as she headed his way. She hugged him. "You finally got here," she said. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it."

He smiled at her. "I just didn't want to be a distraction," he said.

She shook her head. "You wouldn't have been. But I'm glad you're here now." She grabbed his arm. "Let's go see Maddie."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. Let's go." He let her lead him over towards where the casket was displayed. He was glad it wasn't open. He wasn't sure he could handle that. Maddie turned as they approached. "Maddie, Dad finally got here," Daphne said, as they stopped in front of her.

He took a deep breath and looked at his older daughter. In his mind's eye he briefly remembered when the doctor had placed her in his arms the day she was born. He had felt a love he hadn't known was possible that day and he still felt that way. "Hey, Maddie," he said quietly.

She hesitated just a second and then said, "Hey. Thanks for coming."

He took a step towards her. "I'm very sorry about your mom," he said. Maddie nodded and he saw the glisten of tears in her eyes. He reached out and pulled her into an embrace. After a moment he could feel her arms slowly wrap around him and he hugged her closer. "I know this must be so hard," he whispered in her ear. He was reminded of all the times he'd comforted her when she was sad, holding her much the same way. Back when she thought he was her father and that he hung the sun, the moon, and the stars.

She let him hold her briefly and then she stepped back, her eyes filled with tears. She nodded then and said, "It is." She paused. "I hope you'll come to the house. I think it would be good if we could talk."

His heart felt lighter for the first time since Daphne had called him with the news of Rayna's passing. He smiled. "I'd like that," he said. She smiled back and then she turned and headed for another guest.

* * *

Teddy sat in the backseat with his grandson, Michael, on the way to Maddie and Daniel's house. He regretted not having made the time to develop a real relationship with Michael before, as he listened to the sixteen year old tell him about his school projects and sports and learning about music production from his father. Daphne's son was smart and engaging, not seeming to mind that his grandfather had been largely absent from his life.

Teddy also glanced over, periodically, at Daphne, as she and Nick seemed to be having a somewhat awkward exchange. Nothing about it was unpleasant, but Teddy was concerned about the lack of warmth he saw there. He could see, on his daughter's face, that she still loved her husband and he could also see the pain that went along with not quite being connected. He felt an ache in his heart, remembering how, as time went on, he and Rayna were just like that. Except that _he_ was the one who was still in love and desperate not to lose that. He hoped maybe, before he returned to Chicago, he and Daphne could talk a little about that.

When they pulled into the driveway at Maddie's house, Teddy was impressed with the warmth it seemed to project. It looked like a home, with the warm lights both inside and out, and the welcoming porch. He had been happy to see how close she and Daniel still were, all these years later. He had worried when Rayna had told him they were getting married, worried that Maddie was too young and still digging out from the emancipation mess, but she had reassured him that both she and Deacon were supportive and that Daniel was the perfect husband for their daughter. And so it seemed he was.

The house was just as warm inside as out and Teddy relaxed a bit. He spent some time talking to Tandy and then, suddenly, Maddie was at his elbow. He turned to her and smiled. "Hey, Maddie," he said.

She reached out and touched his arm, then smiled at Tandy. "Can I steal him away from you, Aunt Tandy?" she asked.

Tandy nodded and smiled. "Of course. I'm going to find Lily."

And then they were alone. "I'd really like to show you my music room," she said. He nodded and let her lead him down a hall and up some stairs. During their marriage, he rarely went to Rayna's music room. It had seemed so foreign to him and, even though she never had Deacon there, it always felt like he inhabited it. So even though Maddie's music room looked a lot like Rayna's, it was all Maddie, and felt comfortable.

They sat on one of the couches, facing each other. Maddie cleared her throat and looked down at her lap first, then back up at him. He knew she was fifty-five now, no longer a young girl or a teenager, but when he looked at her that's how he saw her. She still looked young and innocent, when the biggest disappointment in her life was when she didn't make the starting soccer team. Back when she was _his_ daughter. "I'm glad you came," she said. "I know when you came for my dad's funeral it was awkward and it didn't end well and I'm sorry about that."

Teddy waved his hand and shook his head. "I wish I could have been more gracious, Maddie," he said sadly. "I tried very hard not to hold a grudge, to understand how all of you would turn to him, but it was really hard for me to forget, you know, everything that went on back when your mother found out she was pregnant. But I should have been the bigger man. I know that."

Maddie took a deep breath. "I never talked to Mom about what it was like then. I thought she wouldn't tell me. Would you?"

He hesitated. "That was so long ago. And all of that, well, it's all water under the bridge now."

She shrugged. "Maybe. But you did something then that most men wouldn't. And I'd like to understand that."

He thought about what to say. He didn't want to hurt Maddie's memories of her parents, but he wanted to be honest with her. "Well, you know your mom and I had been dating. This was after she had broken up with Deacon. She was really hesitant to get into a serious relationship, so we kept it light. We'd go out when she was in town, mostly out to dinner, sometimes to a movie or a show. After a while, things got a little more serious in that she told me about her relationship with Deacon and how hard it had been on her."

She nodded. "Because he was drinking?"

"Yes. And other things, like being unreliable. She'd fired him from her band and that caused a lot of trouble for her. It was hard for her, Maddie, because she'd tried for so long to help him and just felt like she couldn't do it anymore. She was, well, she was really tired. And hurt. She was fragile then. So I just tried to be there for her."

"Why did you marry her, knowing she was pregnant by another man?" she asked.

He remembered her asking that same question the night she found out Deacon was her father. She'd thrown it at him like an accusation that night. He told her then the same thing he told her now. "I loved her, Maddie. We didn't find out for sure until after you were born, although she told me right away she thought you were Deacon's."

Maddie looked puzzled. "Weren't you hurt? To know she'd been unfaithful to you?"

He shrugged. "I guess, at first. It's not the best way to start a marriage, but Deacon wasn't really in any shape to be a father then. _She_ didn't think he was. I offered to marry her and raise you as my own. I'll be honest, I didn't know how I would feel once you were born. I wanted to be a good father and a good husband, but I didn't know." He smiled then. "But the minute I held you in my arms, I loved you. You were my daughter, from that second on, and I would have done anything for you." His smile faded then. "I understand why you pushed me away after a while. I hated it, because I loved you so much, but I understood that you didn't need me the same way anymore."

She shook her head. "It wasn't really that at all. After all the…emancipation stuff, well, I did some terrible things, made some terrible accusations about my dad and let my lawyer bring up terrible stuff about him. I hurt him so deeply. When I came back home, he tried so hard to just move on from it, but I had broken his trust and I really needed to focus on that. And you were in prison, so, I hate to say it, but it made it easier." He saw tears glisten in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure how to restart things. You left Nashville and I had Mom and Dad and I just didn't know how to get back to what we'd had." She reached out then for his hand and he felt a lump in his throat. "But I _do_ need you. And I need you now more than ever. Dad." She breathed in. "Daphne and I both need you to be part of our family again."

He could feel tears on his face, but he was smiling. "I would love to, Maddie," he said. Then she sat forward and hugged him. This was so much more than he'd been expecting, but it had definitely made the trip worthwhile.

* * *

It felt strange to be there as Rayna's first husband. It was so long ago now that he'd been part of her life. Whenever he thought back to those days, he often thought of missed opportunities. He had been in love with her although he knew her feelings for him weren't the same. She was grateful to him, cared about him, but he'd known her heart always truly belonged to another. He had never told her that he'd heard her cry every night for months. He knew she was crying for Deacon, but he hoped that eventually he could make her forget about the man who'd hurt her so badly.

That had never really happened, of course, but they had had a good marriage for a long time. He could never deny that she worked hard at the marriage. He believed that she was even happy for most of the time they were married. He tried not to let his jealousy creep in, tried to keep from imagining what could happen all those years she was out on the road with Deacon. But they had Maddie and then Daphne and he believed that had helped them build a solid marital foundation. If it wasn't the love story he would have liked it to be, it was still good and he was still with the love of his life.

No one else ever compared to Rayna. He had married Peggy because he thought she was pregnant. She had loved him the way he had loved Rayna and he found himself loving her because of that, perhaps the same way Rayna had loved him. He'd pursued Megan Vanoy, a lawyer who was involved with Deacon at the time. When she'd found out about it, Rayna had accused him of doing it _because_ of Deacon, because of the turmoil surrounding Maddie's desire to connect with Deacon. He really couldn't deny it so he had tried to move on. But then he'd gotten tangled up with Natasha, the prostitute Jeff Fordham had introduced him to. The woman who ultimately led him into the arms of the Feds and to prison.

He pushed thoughts of other women out of his head. He wanted to just think about Rayna. In spite of how things had ended with them, she had worked to maintain his relationship with the girls and then to bolster it after he'd gone to prison. She kept him up-to-date on the girls and, later, their families. She had always been kind to him, caring and compassionate. More than he had deserved, considering everything.

They had talked, once, not long before he was released from prison, about the complicated emotions surrounding the time when she'd found out she was pregnant and didn't know what to do. He'd often wondered if she'd regretted her decisions then, regretted how things had played out.

" _It's complicated, Teddy," she said. "You know that." She sighed. "I think we're past it. I'm not sure there's any need to talk it out."_

" _There is for me, Rayna," he said. "It changed my relationship with Maddie and I feel like I selfishly forced you to keep it from her. And from Deacon."_

 _She was quiet for a moment. "Whatever I think now, Teddy, I made those decisions back then. I have had to live with them, and with the outcome of them, for all these years. If you're asking me, if I knew then what I know now, would I have done things differently, then my answer is I don't know." She cleared her throat. "Maybe that's not completely true. I think, if I had to do things over, I would have told Deacon. But I don't know that I would have done the rest of it differently. Because, well, you know, Deacon was in no shape to be a father then. And even if he'd made a decision to try to get sober, he had a history of not being able to do it. I had no way of knowing if he'd ever be able to do it. And I couldn't do that to a child. Or to myself. I have never regretted giving Maddie you for a father. You were a great father. The most important thing for me then was that my child be loved and you did that. I am forever grateful to you for that."_

" _I think Maddie resents the decisions we made on her behalf."_

" _Teddy, her life is in turmoil right now. You can't let that make you feel like she's rejecting you. What she's dealing with now has nothing to do with you. She just can't let herself feel distracted. She needs to untangle herself from this mess with Lennox Hill. And she and Deacon are trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of their relationship. Let her get through those things and I know she'll be ready to see you again."_

That hadn't happened, of course, but now it had. And he felt a little like Rayna had a hand in it, even though she wasn't physically here. He smiled as he listened to everyone talk about the impact Rayna had had on their lives, how she'd nurtured them or supported them or given great advice or that she'd just been there. He realized what a huge heart she had and her loyalty to the people in her life, and then he was grateful to have been one of those people. _Thank you for letting me be part of your world, even if it was only for a little while. Rest in peace, Rayna._


	7. Chapter 7

_**~Will Lexington~**_

He'd been hesitant about coming. He'd actually come to the funeral home the night before, for visiting hours, but after he'd stood outside for twenty minutes trying to work up the nerve, he'd turned around and walked back to his truck and drove home.

The only reason he was here inside the church was that he had run smack dab into Layla Grant when he'd turned again to leave. It wasn't that he didn't respect and admire Rayna, but after he had changed producers for his last album – the one that had tanked so spectacularly – he had basically made himself persona non grata at Highway 65. And he was definitely on the outside of her circle. The few times he'd crossed paths with her, she'd been as polite as the situation required, but, if possible, she avoided him altogether.

The day he had imploded in her office, she had looked more sad than angry. He hadn't been able to stop spewing venom though, all the pent up frustration he'd felt about the slow slide of his career and then the last poorly received album. He was not unlike most artists who, when the next generation of country artists started to take over, found themselves squeezed out of radio play and relegated to small venues or even stints as openers. Rayna had been there herself and understood better than most label heads and had worked with him to revitalize his career. But he hadn't really liked how he'd been repackaged by Nick Summers on the album he'd produced for him. Even though it had been a critical success and even won album of the year, he had not felt comfortable with the changes Nick had made and had fired him a month into producing the follow up.

He'd blamed Rayna for all of it and had told her it had been a mistake to sign with Highway 65. That he wasn't important or valuable to her. She'd tried reminding him how she had helped pave the way for him to become a commercial success in a genre that hadn't been very welcoming to gay artists, but he wasn't listening. She'd let him vent and then she had released him from his contract.

Nothing had been the same after that. He couldn't find another label and eventually he was only getting occasional royalty checks. Kevin left him and it wasn't long before he was living on the streets, a shadow of himself, and unwilling to reach out to anyone he knew.

It had been Avery and Juliette who had found him one day, sleeping off a drunk night in Percy Warner Park. He'd been embarrassed to be found like that, but he let them help him get into a rehab program and Avery made some professional contacts for him. Eventually he was able to get a publishing deal. Life was certainly not what it had been in the heady days of his late twenties and early thirties, but he was on his feet and sober. He wanted to pay his respects to the woman who'd taken him on after Wheelin' Dealin' went under and bolstered his career, but he felt like a fraud.

And then there was Layla, standing right in front of him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her, but he'd have known her anywhere.

"Oh my God. Will Lexington," she said, her eyes wide with surprise.

He smiled sheepishly. "Hey there, Layla," he said, looking away.

"You aren't leaving, are you?" she asked. "Running away?" She gave him a sharp look.

He was reminded then of the reputation she had as an insufferable diva. "Uh, no, of course not. I just, uh, I thought I left something in my truck."

She narrowed her eyes, then threaded her arm through his, turning him around. "I don't believe you," she said. "Let's go in."

So now he was sitting in a pew about ten rows from the front, feeling a little sick to his stomach. He saw Avery and Juliette, with their daughter Cadence. Avery had nodded, touching his fingers to his forehead, when he saw Will. Will watched Cadence, remembering watching her grow up. He hadn't seen her in a very long time and he wasn't sure she would remember him. He saw Scarlett and Gunnar and slid down in his seat a little, trying to hide behind the mourners in front of him.

Layla looked over at him. "Are you afraid someone's going to see you?" she asked. He just looked at her, not sure how to respond. She turned slightly towards him and the sharpness in her eyes softened. "Look, I know things went badly for you. But you shouldn't try to hide from the people who were your friends. Probably still your friends." She sighed and looked a little sad. "I wish there were people who cared about me."

He frowned. "I cared about you, Layla," he said. "You just weren't interested."

She looked away, her fingers picking at the hem of her jacket. He could see the twitch in her jaw. "You were Avery's friend, Will. There was no room for me in your life after that." She looked back at him. "Or anyone else, for that matter." She sighed. "The reason I'm here is because the only person who didn't give up on me back then was Rayna. Just like she didn't give up on you. You gave up on her."

He lowered his head, feeling like he wanted to cry. "I know," he said softly. He looked up and over towards the picture of her that was set up near where the casket would be. He was a little surprised that it was a picture of her after her career was over. Although she looked older, she still had the sparkling blue eyes and the radiant smile. "I made a big mistake," he said.

Layla laid her hand on his arm and he turned to look at her. "She forgave you, you know," she said. "She knew you were frustrated. She just would have liked it if you'd given her a chance to help. But she always respected your choices." She smiled a little. "I did some pretty stupid things, especially in the early days. She could be disappointed with me, but she always tried to help me fix them. She stood by me when no one else would and I just felt such incredible loyalty to her." She sighed. "Even after I left Highway 65 for California, she would check in on me from time to time. And she always sent a lovely note at the start of every tour. I think she was proud that she had launched me, even if my biggest success ended up after I left her."

He started to say something, but then the music started. It took him a minute to recognize the opening melody from 'No One Will Ever Love You'. He'd heard that was Rayna's favorite duet with Deacon, one of the very first ones they'd performed together. He could feel tears in his eyes as he thought about the long history the two of them had had. He'd always thought he and Kevin might have that kind of history, but when his life had imploded, he'd pushed Kevin away. He'd just made so many mistakes.

Everyone turned then as the pallbearers started down the aisle with Rayna's casket, covered in a flower drape. "Daisies," Layla whispered in his ear. "Her favorite flower." He glanced back at her briefly, wondering how she knew that. Then he lowered his head, wondering if she at least somehow knew he was there.

* * *

Will was ready to leave as soon as the service was over. He stood up and looked down at Layla. "Look, Layla, I gotta run. I got somewhere to be," he said.

Layla's eyes narrowed. "Seriously, Will?" she said.

Just then he heard a voice behind him. "Will? Will Lexington? Is that you?" He steeled himself, then put a smile on his face and turned to face Scarlett O'Connor. A smile broke across her face.

"Well, hey there, Scarlett," he said. "Long time, no see." He nodded at Gunnar, who was standing behind Scarlett, grinning. "Gunnar."

Scarlett scampered over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Will! I'm so glad you came," she squealed.

Will took a deep breath. "Well, I really felt like I needed to pay my respects. Rayna did a lot for me." He felt a little sick at that moment. "So, what you said today, it was, well, really…meaningful."

Scarlett nodded vigorously. "She changed my life, you know? I owe her everything." She grabbed his hand. "She was really more like a mama to me than my own mama. She and Deacon really were the parents I never really had. It's sad knowing they're both gone now." She titled her head slightly. "You're coming to the cemetery, right?"

"Oh, I don't know…" he started.

Layla stood up behind him. "Yes, he's coming with me," she said.

A shadow crossed over Scarlett's face briefly, but then she gave Layla a sad smile. "I'm glad you're both coming," she said. "I know Rayna would be happy to know you were both here."

Will smiled, a big fake smile, as he felt Layla slide her hand through his arm and lock onto his elbow. He decided not to create a scene.

* * *

Layla parked the car and got out. Will didn't move, just looking out the window at the gathering crowd around the burial spot. He could feel his anxiety rise with every passing minute. "Get out of the car, Will," Layla said. He turned. She was leaning over and looking back into the car from the driver's side, glaring at him.

He shook his head. "I don't know, Layla," he said.

"Get out of the car," she said more firmly. She sighed. "I don't get why you're so afraid to see everyone. I mean, for crying out loud, Will, we've all done _something_ we're ashamed of. Scarlett had a breakdown on stage, Avery screwed up his first contract and burned his masters, Juliette went off the deep end. I lied and schemed and ruined people's lives. Gunnar, well, Gunnar. Hell, I don't know what Gunnar did, but you know it was something. So you messed up your career. At least it wasn't at the beginning. You had a great career, something to be proud of."

He looked at her and then took a deep breath. "I guess," he said.

"Get out of the damn car," Layla said one more time as she slammed the door.

He finally opened the passenger door and stepped out into the chilly air. He shivered, pulling his coat a little closer. He took a deep breath and headed in the direction Layla had gone. He went and stood beside her, lowering his head. He was grateful she'd stopped at the back of the crowd that was at the gravesite. And then he felt a hand slap him on the back. He turned sharply and looked into Avery's face.

"Hey, man, good to see you," Avery said, a smile on his face.

Will felt his stomach clench at Avery's voice. Even though he appreciated everything Avery and Juliette did for him, it embarrassed him to be around them now. He smiled hesitantly. "Hey there, Avery," he said.

Avery didn't move his hand. "I didn't know you'd be here," he said.

"Well, I wasn't sure I was gonna come," he said. He noticed that Layla had walked away. He looked sheepish. "Layla kinda made me," he said, his voice soft. "She caught me outside the church."

Avery nodded, not giving away anything. Will had no idea if Avery still held a grudge for everything Layla had done back after she'd found out about Juliette's part in Jeff Fordham's death. It had been a long time. "I'm glad she did," Avery said finally. "You were a big part of Highway 65 for a lotta years."

Will nodded. "Yeah. I know Rayna did a lot for my career." He hesitated a moment. "I owe her a lot. I wish I'd told her."

"You're telling her now, man, by being here." He gripped Will's shoulder again. "Come on over. I know Juliette wants to see you." He took a step away and looked at Will. Finally Will nodded and followed his old friend. Rayna Jaymes was always good at bringing people together, even now.

* * *

Will hurried up the steps at the publishing house, guitar case in hand. He was late, hadn't meant to be, but Layla had been like a dog with a bone, not only making him go to the church service but the burial as well. As he ran into the room, his co-writers looked up.

"Hey, Will, you made it," said a thirty-ish woman with dirty blonde hair, a warm smile, and a voice like whiskey.

He looked sheepish. "I'm sorry. I kind of got waylaid," he said.

"No problem." She grinned. "You're kinda dressed up though. You didn't need to do that. It's just us." She nodded toward the other person in the room, a dark haired young man wearing an old Chris Stapleton t-shirt and well-worn jeans.

Will had been writing with this pair for nearly a year. They had met at a writing workshop and hit it off. They'd written over thirty songs together, selling ten and having another six placed on hold. Two songs had hit number one. He enjoyed the camaraderie and their styles had meshed well.

He looked down and realized he was, in fact, still wearing his suit. The sleeves were a little tight and the tie had seen better days, but it was all he had. He shook his head and laughed, then took off the jacket and tie and slung them over a chair. He unbuttoned the shirt at the neck and the cuffs and rolled up the sleeves. He reached for his guitar and sat down on the edge of one of the club chairs. "I just came from a funeral," he said.

"Oh, wow, that's a bummer," the woman said. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I saw that Rayna Jaymes' funeral was today too."

"Yeah. That's the one I was at," Will said.

"Really?" she said. "Although maybe I shouldn't be surprised. You were on her label, right? Back in the day?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, I was. Totally screwed that up though. Which is too bad, 'cause she was really good to me and helped me out a lot."

The woman smiled dreamily. "My mom was a huge Rayna Jaymes fan. Had every single album she ever put out. Got me hooked on her too. She was really something with that classic country sound." She looked at Will. "What was she like to work with?"

Will smiled sadly. "Really amazing. The thing about her was that she knew what it was like to be an artist and she also didn't get so caught up in the business side of things that she forgot the people on her label." He sighed. "She really cared about you as a person, not like a lot of labels."

"I was really inspired by her story. I know she came from money, but she walked away from it all for her dream. And she wasn't afraid to work hard and pay her dues and she ended up on top. She was a fighter, that's for sure." She reached out and tapped Will's arm. "You were lucky to have been in her orbit."

Will felt a lump in his throat. "Yeah, I guess I was," he said. Regardless of how things had ended, he'd had a good run at Highway 65 and he'd been fortunate to have her support. He was glad he'd let Layla make him stay to pay his respects. He swallowed hard and then smiled at his friends. "Why don't we write something that's a tribute to her? I think that would be a great way to honor her."


	8. Chapter 8

_**~Juliette Barnes~**_

Juliette took a deep breath before she stood up from where she sat in the pew. Avery looked up at her and gave her an encouraging look. _You can do this, Mama._ Cadence mouthed the words and Juliette smiled sadly. She walked up the steps and stood at the top, front and center, the paper with the words she'd written down to say gripped tightly in one hand. She looked out over the crowd that was gathered in the large sanctuary in the Episcopal church in Belle Meade. It was packed, just like any Rayna Jaymes concert would have been.

She recognized so many people. Maddie and Daphne and their families, of course. Rayna's sister Tandy. Teddy Conrad. Luke Wheeler. Scarlett and Gunnar. Will Lexington. Even Layla Grant. Other music legends who were still around. Songwriters and musicians. Highway 65 staff, past and present. For a brief second she felt a flash of envy that Rayna engendered such widespread love and loyalty. But that was just the kind of person she was. She cared about people. She'd always wanted to be the place that nurtured young artists, took on those who needed a safe haven. Juliette knew she'd been in the latter group, although she was always one of Rayna's biggest stars.

She took a deep breath, smiling tightly. She started to speak and unexpectedly found she had a huge lump in her throat. She swallowed hard and then waved the two sheets of paper in front of her and put the other hand on her hip. "So," she said and stopped. She took another deep breath. "I hope you don't mind, but I really have a lot to say."

* * *

 _Avery was in the kitchen making coffee. Juliette was lying in bed, waiting. She heard his phone ring, then heard the low murmuring of his voice. She wondered who was calling so early, but she just waited, propping herself against the pillows and arranging the covers around her. Then she realized the murmuring had stopped._

" _Avery?" she called out. In a second, he appeared at the door, looking a little dazed. He didn't have coffee either and she frowned. "Where's my coffee? And who was that on the phone?" she asked fretfully. She still was cranky in the morning before coffee. His eyes, just then, seemed to focus on her. She could feel the beginnings of anxiety. She didn't like the look on his face. "Avery, what's wrong?" she asked._

 _He came and sat next to her on the bed, grabbing her hands. She could see tears in his eyes. She sat up then, worried that something was wrong with Cadence. "That was Maddie Rose," he said softly, which wasn't what she'd expected. He swallowed. "Rayna passed away last night."_

 _Her eyes widened and she felt a pain in her chest. She started breathing hard. "No!" she shouted. She couldn't catch her breath, all of a sudden. "No," she moaned, tears starting to form in her eyes. She grasped his hands tightly and looked into his eyes. "It has to be a mistake."_

 _He shook his head sadly. "It's not." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Maddie said she was ready."_

 _She was shaking her head slightly, but she knew what he meant. "She was ready to be with Deacon," she whispered._

* * *

Juliette ran her tongue over her lips. "It feels wrong to be standing here. For some reason, I expected Rayna to live forever. I have to admit I'm a little bit at a loss, now that she's gone. Rayna Jaymes has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I'll be honest and say I wasn't always happy about it, but she's truly always been there.

"When I first met her I told her my mama had listened to her when she was pregnant with me. That was stretching the truth, but I was trying hard in those days to jump ahead of her and I wasn't above insulting her to do it.

"But Rayna was my idol when I was growing up, if you want to know the truth. I wanted to be just like her. I used to stand in front of my mirror with a hair brush and pretend I was Rayna Jaymes. When I started singing at county fairs and talent shows, I sang 'This Love Ain't Big Enough' and 'The Best Songs Come From Broken Hearts' and 'Already Gone'. She was beautiful and talented and everyone loved her. And I wanted to be a country music star just like her.

"I'm not sure exactly when that changed, but I do remember that as my career took off, instead of wanting to be like her, I wanted to beat her at her own game. I wanted to be the queen of country music. In the midst of all that, we were forced to tour together. I knew she didn't think much of me and I was determined to outshine her, but somehow, over time, we figured out how to coexist."

* * *

 _When she walked into Maddie and Daniel's den, Juliette saw that her friend was sitting on the couch with her head on the side arm. She stood there for a moment, watching her, thinking back to when her own mother had died. The circumstances had been so different. She and Jolene had only just started to rebuild their relationship. But when she'd found her dead from an overdose and Dante dead on the floor from a gunshot wound, she'd felt her life spiraling out of control again._

 _She thought about how Rayna had tried to reach out to her, but then she'd been in that horrific car accident and nearly died. The tentative attempts they'd made to build a bridge were shattered. Juliette regretted how immature she'd been then, how she'd practically blamed Rayna for being in a coma._

 _Rayna and Maddie had gone through their own trials, back when Maddie was sixteen and had successfully gained her emancipation. She remembered how much Maddie had wanted that, how she'd pointed out she was following in Juliette's footsteps. Their situations were so different, though, and she knew Maddie didn't appreciate it then. But she and Rayna had gotten the chance to rebuild their relationship and, instead of feeling envious, Juliette had been glad for both of them. She thought again about the lost chance with her own mother and she sighed._

 _Maddie sat up and turned. When she saw Juliette, she jumped up from the couch and ran to her friend, her face dissolving in tears as she did. "You came," she cried into Juliette's shoulder._

 _Juliette rubbed Maddie's back as she cried, making soothing noises like she had when Cadence was little. When Maddie pulled back, Juliette gave her an understanding smile. "What can I do?" she asked._

 _Maddie shook her head. "Nothing. Just come sit with me?" Juliette nodded and they walked over and sat back down on the couch where Maddie had been. Maddie sat sideways, Indian-style, and reached for Juliette's hands. "I knew this day was coming," she said. "It's still hard though."_

" _Of course it is. She was your mama. It's hard to lose your mama. No matter how old you are." She squeezed Maddie's hands. "You were part of her, before you were born, and that part just never quite leaves us."_

 _Maddie pulled her hands back and covered her face, crying softly. Juliette reached out and rubbed her leg, until Maddie had regained control. "I just feel like everyone will be looking to me," she said then. "To be strong."_

 _Juliette smiled. "And you are. You're just like her." She looked at Maddie closely. "You know that, right? You're just like her. You can do this, Maddie."_

* * *

Juliette glanced over at Maddie. "I watched her go through some tough times and I was impressed with how she always managed those situations with grace. She never lost sight of who she was, although I'm sure there were times when she wished she could have just thrown a hissy fit." She smiled then. "I'm pretty sure I was the cause of many of those situations. In fact, I know that I was.

"I spent a lot of years being jealous of Rayna. As successful as I was, she had more. She had a family who loved her. She was a good mama to her girls. She had Deacon. He was always there for her, even when they weren't together. He always loved her and I think I envied that most of all. She had an amazing career and the respect of the whole country music business." She smiled again. "I remember, back when we were touring together, we'd been asked to present a CMA award together. I can tell you I didn't want to do it. And, of course, we were given the stupidest lines ever. That was the day she told me that selling millions of albums and having millions of Twitter followers didn't give you respect, that you had to earn it. And she was right. Because she had earned it every single day, by being generous even when she didn't have to be, by treating people respectfully even when she might have wanted to be rude, by smiling even when she spoke her mind because she knew it would help her cause more than being a screaming shrew.

"Rayna had every right to be a diva, if she'd wanted to be. She could write her own ticket in the music business. Everything she touched turned to gold. But she worked hard to build relationships, so that when, inevitably, things weren't going her way, people still wanted to help her. I watched her build herself back up. Instead of fading away, she stood her ground and said 'I'm not ready to be a legacy artist' and she fought her way back to the top of the mountain. But you know what? She never did it at the expense of anyone else. She supported her artists and even artists who weren't hers. She supported _me_ , even when I gave her no reason to.

"When I look back, Rayna was there for all the important moments of my life. She was there when my mama died. She took me onto her label when I got fired. She was with me when I went into labor and gave birth to my daughter. And she was the first person, besides Avery and my team, who came to see me in the hospital after I nearly died. She knew how that felt, knew I needed someone who knew what I'd been through."

* * *

 _Every time Juliette opened her eyes, she hoped it would all have been a bad dream. A very horrible bad dream, to be sure, but a bad dream anyway. As often happened, when she'd drifted off to sleep, she'd had the same dream. The flight attendant had told her they were about a hundred miles outside of Nashville and would be landing soon. Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, there had been a loud thump and the plane had shifted ominously to the right. After a few seconds of rocking back and forth, they'd started to plummet. She could hear herself screaming, begging, pleading not to die. And then, just before the awful crash to the earth, she'd wake up, breathing hard, her heart racing._

 _Although she did dream it, it was unfortunately all too real._

 _This time, when she woke up, she looked up and saw a pair of concerned eyes. She blinked once, twice, and then took a deep breath. It was Rayna standing by her hospital bed. "Hey," Rayna said, reaching down to grasp her hand. "We were worried about you and Avery said it was okay for us to come."_

 _Juliette glanced down at the foot of the bed, where Deacon stood, a worried look on his face. "We don't have to stay long, if you ain't up for it," he said._

 _She felt overwhelmed. She could feel the threat of tears and she breathed in, willing herself not to cry. "It's okay," she whispered. She cleared her throat. "Thanks for coming," she said, her voice a little less raspy._

" _How are you feeling?" Rayna asked. She looked back at her and saw concern furrowing Rayna's brow._

 _Juliette tried to smile. "Not great," she said. "But apparently good enough that they're gonna let me go home at the end of the week."_

 _Deacon came over then and stood next to Rayna. "Glad to hear that," he said._

 _Juliette looked over at the controls on her bed and hit the one that raised up her bed. She winced just a little as she felt some discomfort. "They say I'll heal better at home," she said. In a wheelchair. With a lot of physical therapy. The doctors said she'd be able to walk again, but she wasn't looking forward to what was in store for her._

 _Rayna nodded. "That's true. Being with the people you love, that helps so much. Trust me."_

 _Juliette felt the tears again. "Did you…did you dream about it?" she asked. She saw a shadow cross Deacon's face and felt bad for bringing it up in front of him. He turned and walked over to the window, leaving them to talk. She watched him and then turned back to Rayna._

" _I did," Rayna said quietly. "For a little while. But then I knew I just needed to push past it. I just reminded myself that I survived. And so did you."_

 _Juliette could feel the tears slide down her cheeks. "But no one else did," she whispered. "I keep thinking about them."_

 _Rayna reached for her hand and smiled compassionately. "I know," she said. "I suppose that will be the hard part. But you did and you have to get stronger for Avery and for your daughter. They need you." She breathed in. "The fact that they didn't lose you means they need you all the more. And you need them, to help you appreciate the fact that you're still here. Rejoice in that, Juliette. Be glad for that."_

 _Deacon had walked back up behind Rayna and put his hand on his wife's shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled, covering his hand with her own. "We're all glad you're here, Juliette," he said._

 _She tried giving them a brave smile. "Thanks, y'all," she said, a little shyly._

* * *

"Maybe Rayna gave herself a minute to dwell on what could have happened, but she was always the person who saw the positive. She didn't die the night she was in that car crash and she went on to have a long, happy life. She got to see her girls grow up and become amazing women. She got to have thirty years with the man she loved by her side. She had the career she'd always wanted and was able to build a business that supported other artists. When she did finally leave this life, she left an amazing legacy behind her.

"I didn't die the night my plane crashed. And I learned so much from her then about gratefulness. She encouraged me when I was down. She cheered even the tiniest improvements. She reminded me every day that there were people who loved me and were rooting for me. She wanted me to have that long happy life too.

"It really wasn't until then that Rayna and I actually became friends. We'd had our moments, times when for one reason or another, one of us needed the other. But then the moment would pass and we would be like ships passing in the night. But having that shared experience bonded us in a way I wouldn't have imagined before. I needed her, really needed her, and she was there for me.

"I was very fortunate to have crossed paths with Rayna Jaymes. I wouldn't have admitted to that, back when I was twenty-four years old, but she touched my life in amazing ways. But probably, after I recovered from the plane crash, her taking me back to Highway 65 was the thing that changed my life for good. She helped me to rebuild my career and to prove to myself that I could be better than ever. She showed me it was okay to enjoy my life and to make room for the things, and the people, who are truly important." She smiled indulgently at Avery and Cadence. "Rayna was one of the best people I knew and I am truly going to miss her." She reached up and brushed away a stray tear. "Thank you."

* * *

Juliette was looking at her hands in her lap as Avery slid in the driver's seat. He put the key in the ignition and then turned towards her. "You okay?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

She didn't look up, but nodded. "Yes." Then she shook her head. "No." She looked up at Avery, a tear trailing down her cheek. "I'm not ready for her to be gone."

"I know," he said soothingly. "I'm pretty sure nobody was, based on what was said in there."

She bit her lip. "I wasted so much time trying to be better than her," she said.

He frowned. "I don't know what you mean," he said. "You and Rayna have been friends for a very long time."

She reached up and wiped away the tears on her face. "I know, but I spent a lot of years not respecting her, trying to live her life, instead of just learning from her." She sighed. "I didn't really appreciate her until after my accident. I mean, _really_ appreciate her. She never gave up on me, Avery, even when I was just awful to her."

He smiled. "There weren't many people she wouldn't help," he said. "That was just who she was." He started the car and slowly pointed it towards the road, heading for the cemetery. They rode quietly for a while and then he said, "You know, she thought of you as part of her family."

She nodded. "I know. I was very lucky." She reached for his hand and they smiled as they continued on their way.

* * *

Juliette parked her car and turned it off, just sitting there for a few minutes. Finally she got out and walked over to the Wyatt family plot. Rayna had been gone a little over a month and it was her first visit to the cemetery. It was a bright sunny day, with a hint of spring to come, but she still needed a light coat, which she pulled tightly around her. She walked up to the bench that faced the gravestones. She sat on one end, closer to the graves of Deacon and Rayna. Even though it was sad knowing they were both gone, she also felt a sense of peace in knowing they were together.

She sat quietly for several minutes. "I miss you both so much," she said finally. "You were both true friends, people who I know truly cared about me, even when I didn't deserve it. This world just won't be the same without y'all in it. But Rayna, you especially meant so much to me. When you came to be with me when my mom died, I had no idea what you were going through then. And when Cadence was born, you stayed with me, even though you really needed to be with Deacon then. But that was who you were. You had such a big heart.

"Thank you for all the times you were there for me, helped me out of a tough spot, even when I gave you grief for doing it. I'm so glad you stuck with me and that we finally truly became friends. I think I finally realized what a gift you were in my life when I was lying in that hospital bed, wondering if I'd ever walk again, ever be able to get on stage. You listened to me when I didn't believe I could do it and you encouraged me. You made me stronger."

She could feel the tears rolling down her face. "I miss you, but I know you're at peace." She stood then and walked over to stand in front of Rayna's gravestone. "Farewell, my friend. Til we see each other again." She raised her hand as if to wave and then turned, walking briskly back to her car.


	9. Chapter 9

_**~Maddie Claybourne Rose~**_

Maddie sat in the music room in her house. Rayna's funeral was the next day and this seemed to be the right place to write what she wanted to say. Just like she had when she'd written her father's eulogy, music seemed to infuse all those relationships. She'd often thought about how music had brought her parents together, two unlikely souls who connected in a way that seemed almost mystical, magical. Rayna Jaymes was Rayna Wyatt then, sixteen and ready to follow her dreams. Any fears she'd had just seemed to fuel her spirit and her desire to succeed. She'd come from a background of wealth and privilege, but none of that mattered to her. Deacon Claybourne was a poor kid from a violently dysfunctional home, one that had sent him on a path of both chasing and running from demons. He had amazing talent and, in spite of the nightmares he'd lived through, his touch on both music and lyrics spoke of something else, both heartbreak and hope.

The two of them had found each other and known immediately that what they had together was inevitable. It wasn't always easy and they had ultimately spent many years apart. They couldn't be together and yet they couldn't stay apart. Their early years were filled with love, but also with pain and agony that ultimately had torn them from each other. It was at the end of their initial relationship that she had been created, in a moment of intense love and equally intense disappointment. And yet, eventually they had found their way back to each other and learned to work through their history and come through stronger than ever.

She had her parents' music playing softly in the background, acting as the soundtrack for her thoughts. She sat on the couch, her back against the arm and her legs pulled up in front of her, a notebook resting on them. She doodled a little with her pencil and then put them down, getting up to walk over to the chest that contained important papers and old notebooks. She found what she was looking for quickly and then walked back over to the couch and sat, holding a sheet of paper in her hands. She ran one hand over the page, smoothing the folds. She could see her hand shake just a bit and she felt the pressure of tears behind her eyes and nose, just like she always did whenever she thought about her father. She took a deep breath and started to read.

 _I still can't quite believe my father is gone. I woke up this morning and expected to hear from him, like I always did, calling me to see how I was doing and what my day was like and to tell me what he was planning for the day. That had become our rhythm over the last almost ten years._

 _Two times I've been in his recovery room, waiting for him to wake up and say he was okay. The first time I was standing there. The second time I was in a bed next to his. Both times he opened his eyes and he smiled a loopy smile and he said 'hey there, sweet girl'. But this time he wouldn't be doing that, although I imagine he's looking down on me now, saying 'hey there, sweet girl, it's gonna be okay'. Except it sure doesn't feel that way._

 _I knew Deacon Claybourne all my life. He was my mom's bandleader back farther than I could even remember. He helped me pick at the guitar when I was little and when I got older, he became my teacher, in many more ways than just how to play the guitar. He was always patient with me, even when I'd throw a tantrum or want to quit. I loved him for as long as I can remember and I know he loved me too._

 _I didn't know Deacon was my father until I was thirteen. It was hard for both of us to adjust to that, at first. He told me once that it had been easy to be my Uncle Deacon, but when all the responsibility of being a dad was on him, he was scared. He still loved me the same, but he never wanted to disappoint me or do the wrong thing. Unfortunately, I disappointed him._

 _When I was sixteen, I wanted to be on my own. But instead of doing it the right way, I got emancipated. I said horrible things about my parents and got what I wanted. But you know what? It wasn't like I thought it would be and I really regretted my choices. Some of the things I said about my dad really hurt him a lot. It took us a long time to really be able to get through that. It was hard to talk about and hurtful for all of us. I've regretted it ever since._

 _But you know what? Even during the hardest times, he still stood by me. He told me once, 'Maddie, blood is everything. We may be on the opposite side of things, but I always have your back. I'll always love you, no matter what.' I sure didn't deserve that, after everything I'd done and said, but I was always grateful._

 _It took us a long time to really get back the connection we had. We both worked at it because we both wanted it. It was harder for him, because he was the one who was hurt, but he still showed up for me, every day. He walked me down the aisle the day I got married. He was there when both my daughters were born and he loved them so. He helped me when I struggled with career decisions and with life decisions._

 _My mom told me once that he was the best man she ever knew. At the time I'm not sure I appreciated it. But I know now that she was right._

Maddie stopped, wiping away the tears that streamed down her face. It was no less poignant for her now than it had been when she'd written it twelve years earlier. She had definitely not been ready to lose him. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye or tell him, again, how much she loved him. The void he'd left her in her life since then had been enormous and painful. She looked back down at the paper.

 _I'm going to miss you, Dad. Every single day, I will stop and think about you and I will miss you more than you can ever know. I was lucky to have had two dads in my life, but you are the one who made me. We are tied together by blood and that's a bond that won't ever be broken, even by death._

 _You wanted to do your best for me and I think you always felt like it wasn't quite enough. But it was. It was enough and so much more._

 _My dad and I wrote a lot together. One song, in particular, seems fitting here. This is the chorus of the song 'Believing' that we wrote when I was fifteen. '_ _When I get the feeling that my prayers have hit the ceiling / On those darker days when my faith has lost all meaning / You keep me believing.'_ _You kept me believing, Dad. Because you believed in me._

 _Deacon Claybourne was the greatest man I ever knew. I am going to miss him for the rest of my life. He was loving and giving and always there to lend a hand. He never thought he deserved much, but he truly deserved only the best. He had a good soul, in spite of everything he had to go through and everything he overcame. He had demons, but he fought them every day, and I'm proud to say that he won a lot more than he lost._

 _I believe he'll be watching over all of us now, making sure we're safe. Thank you, Dad, for everything. I love you and I'll miss you._

She sighed deeply. _This is where I need to start. Everything Dad did, Mom did even more. She was the anchor. That's where I start._

 _ **~Daphne Conrad Summers~**_

Daphne stood in front of her full-length mirror. She ran her hands down the hunter green dress she was wearing, smoothing it as she did. She had pulled her hair back into a messy bun and then she slid a pair of earrings with emeralds in them into her ears. She fingered the earrings as she remembered her mother giving them to her on her twenty-first birthday. They had always been her favorite and she hoped Rayna knew she was wearing them in her honor.

She turned and walked out of the bedroom and then down the stairs. She walked over to where she'd left her purse and opened it, pulling out the two sheets of paper she'd used to write her eulogy. She'd struggled with it the day before, but then had come home from the visitation inspired. She thought again about how that happened.

 _ **####**_

Daphne was feeling anxious as she got dressed for visiting hours. She had sat down after lunch and tried working on a eulogy, but she felt stuck. She had, in fact, written down all those little memories she had of Rayna, like she'd told Maddie, but when she went back and looked at it again, it had felt childish. She wasn't the accomplished songwriter Maddie was. She had written songs back when she was a kid, but these days she was more business focused, as the head of Highway 65, and it had been a long time since she had felt prosaic.

She had put it away, but she knew she'd have to get back to it after they got home. She was slipping on her shoes when Nick came into the bedroom. She was wearing black slacks with a cream colored turtleneck and a matching faux fur vest. He smiled at her appreciatively. "You look beautiful, love," he said.

She smiled and then sighed. "Thank you, but I'm not sure beautiful is what I should be going for," she said.

He shrugged. "I think you can't help it," he said. "But you look…appropriate. Is that acceptable?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"I saw you were working on your eulogy for tomorrow. Did you finish?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. And I'm not happy with what I did write, so I'll have to work on it later."

He walked over to her and put his hand on the back of her head, leaning in and lightly kissing her on the forehead. "Just speak from your heart," he said. "That's all you need."

* * *

Daphne was still thinking about Nick's words as she stood back watching guests mill around the room. She was startled by a voice behind her. "Excuse me, but are you Daphne Conrad?"

She turned. The man standing there was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place him. He had shaggy salt and pepper hair and a beard and moustache. He was tall and lanky, wearing a tweed jacket and dark gray dress pants, a scarf casually wrapped around his neck. She nodded. "I am," she said.

The man looked over his shoulder, then back at her. Although he wasn't really smiling, she caught a slight twinkle in his eye. "I was hoping to see you and your sister." Daphne frowned. "Oh, I knew your mother many years ago." He smiled then. "My name is Liam McGuinnis."

Daphne's eyes widened. She knew who he was. Nick knew of him and had mentioned him more than once. And she did sort of remember him from when he'd been on tour with her mother for _Red Lips/White Lies_. "How did you know…."

His smile widened a bit. "When a music legend passes away, the world knows. Even if she was country." Daphne had to smile at that. "Rayna was a great lady. I hadn't seen her or talked to her in a very long time and I was sorry to hear she had died."

Daphne breathed in. "Can you wait a second and let me get my sister?" she asked.

He nodded. "Of course."

When she had returned with Maddie and introduced them, Liam said, "I just wanted you to know how much I admired your mom. She was pushy as hell when I met her but I really enjoyed working with her."

Maddie cocked her head to the side. "You produced 'The Parts I Remember' for her, right?"

He nodded, the twinkle back in his eye. "I did. It was a pretty good record, as I recall."

"It was," Daphne said. "One of her biggest sellers, plus she won a CMA and a Grammy for it."

"As did I, as her producer." He looked wistful. "I wish I could've been there to see her win. It was incredibly personal for her, that record, and she was so fearless about it." He paused. "When she came to see me to ask me to produce it for her, I really gave her a hard time. But she was fierce. And determined." He laughed softly. "She scared me a little, truth be told. She was pretty intimidating actually. She always knew what she wanted and rarely took no for an answer."

Maddie nodded. "She always was pretty determined about stuff. Very focused."

Liam pushed his hands into his coat pockets. "I really liked your mom. A lot." He winked. "I mean, a _lot_." Maddie and Daphne both smiled. "But my problem was I wasn't Deacon Claybourne." Maddie grinned. "I saw they finally got together."

Maddie nodded. "They did. They were married almost thirty years."

Liam raised his eyebrows. "And she was happy?"

Maddie and Daphne looked at each other. "Very," Daphne said. "Until Deacon died. Now they're together again."

Liam looked pensive. "That they are," he said. He took a deep breath. "Listen, I was on my way to LA when I heard and I made a quick stop. I wish I could be here for the funeral, but I've got to get going. I just wanted to pay my respects and tell you what a great lady she was."

Maddie and Daphne both smiled. "Thanks for coming," Daphne said. "We really appreciate it."

He smiled and touched his fingers to his forehead. They watched as he walked over to the closed casket, covered with flowers. He stood for a few minutes, his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him. Then he raised his head and reached slowly out to lay his hand on the casket for a moment. Then he turned and walked out.

Maddie turned to Daphne. "That was really nice of him to come," she said. She looked pensive. "Do you remember him at all?"

Daphne made a face. "A little. He toured with Mom on the _Red Lips/White Lies_ tour, I remember that."

Maddie nodded then. "That's right." She was silent for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, it was nice of him to come." She touched Daphne's arm. "I'm going to find Daniel."

Daphne nodded absently as Maddie walked away. She thought about what Liam had said, how Rayna was fierce and fearless and how determined she was. She realized that Liam had just given her what she needed to finish her eulogy.

 _ **~Maddie Claybourne Rose~**_

Maddie stood for a moment, looking out at the crowd. She had not really been surprised at the number of people who had come, both for the visitation and the funeral service. All the things everyone had said before were true. Rayna had been the person who'd given them a hand, helped them start or restart their career, been their cheerleader, their mentor, their friend. But she was also so much more.

She smiled. "First of all, I want to thank you all for coming, on behalf of my sister and my aunt and me. It means so much more than you can ever know that you wanted to be here to pay your respects to her. And I think she would have been very touched to know this many people wanted to be here."

She ran her tongue over her lips. "This is a day you never really think will come. When you're a kid or a young adult or even at middle age, you somehow think your parents will always be there. But we can't live forever. I'm just glad she was in my life.

"My mom was always there for me, even when I made it difficult for her. Many of you know that, when I was sixteen, I emancipated from my mom. My life had been filled with turmoil for a couple years before that and I let myself be influenced by people who didn't have my best interests at heart. But as much as I hurt her by doing that, she never gave up on me. She was always trying to protect me and to help me. She was determined we wouldn't lose each other.

"It was scary, being on my own, trying to make my own way and my own decisions. I consider myself very fortunate that I very quickly figured out I'd made a mistake and that my parents, and especially my mom, were still there for me.

"I not only learned a lot from that experience, but she taught me so much after that. I realized that, in trying to protect me and not have me have to go through some of what she did when she was starting out, she only wanted to teach me. Because of all that, she had to teach me sooner than she'd wanted to, but she did it anyway. She never gave me special favors, just because I was her daughter, and she helped me learn how to earn my way.

"But this isn't about her helping me professionally. You've heard from so many people who have talked about that. This is really about her creating a home and a family, giving my sister and me that stability and love that all kids deserve. She was always there with a hug or an encouraging word, when I needed it. She fixed up my scraped knees and got in bed with me during thunderstorms. She sang me to sleep when I was scared and gave me my very first real guitar.

"I learned how to be a mom from her. I wasn't a whole lot younger than she was when she had me, when I had my first daughter. Being a mom was scary for me, but Mom was right there with words of wisdom. I learned so much more about how she had felt, being a mom for the first time. She told me how she felt so responsible for raising a good person, how much she wanted to be a positive role model for me. She didn't have the benefit of a mom to help her and she didn't want me to have to figure everything out for myself. I think Daisy and Lily are all the better for her wisdom.

"She was there when I struggled to find my way. I don't think she ever didn't know what she was meant to do with her life, but there were so many times when I doubted myself. She used to tell me I was like my father, going through life with my heart on my sleeve. She helped me figure out how to follow my dreams without sacrificing myself or others. I learned to be a better person because of her.

"She was first and foremost my mom. We had the usual mother-daughter spats and disagreements, but she did everything she did because she loved me. Even before I was born she made decisions she thought would give me the best life. When I look back at all that, I have to give her credit for doing the best she knew how.

"But later on, as I got older, she became my friend. And, as you've heard, you couldn't have a better, more loyal friend than Rayna Jaymes. My life was infinitely richer because I was her daughter, and not in the material ways. I was loved and cared for and supported my whole life. She was an amazing woman, mother, and friend.

"You may think you know Rayna Jaymes, but I want to tell you some of the things you might not. She loved to play the guitar, even though she wasn't very good at it. And she almost always used it when she wrote a song. She traveled all around the world, but her favorite place to hang out was at a lake house north of Nashville, with my father, where she could sit on the porch and watch boats on the lake and sit on the dock with her feet in the water. She loved movies, but not scary ones. And every year, on his birthday, she would watch 'Old Yeller' with my dad. She kept doing it after he died. Country music was her favorite, of course, but she loved almost all music. One of her favorite things was going to the symphony, something she learned to love from her parents. And she loved the ballet. I think she was thrilled when her granddaughter Lily started to dance.

"She loved early morning sunrises and quiet spots along the river. She loved all kinds of flowers, but daisies were her favorite, which is why her first grandchild is named Daisy. She loved to dress up on stage, with sparkly rhinestone dresses and stiletto heels, but when she was just hanging around the house, her go to outfit was jeans, a flannel shirt – most likely one of my dad's cast offs – and boots. She liked to ride horses, something none of the rest of us really enjoyed, and that was a calming indulgence for her whenever she had the chance. And she loved to read. One of my favorite visuals was of her and my dad, curled up together on the couch reading, both of them in their glasses.

"She was certainly the great Rayna Jaymes, but she was so much more than that. She was a loving mom, a proud grandmother, a caring sister, a loyal friend, and a fiercely supportive wife. If you were part of her circle, you were her family. We've lost an amazing woman. There won't be another like her.

"Mom, I will miss you every single day. We all will."

 _ **~Daphne Conrad Summers~**_

Daphne felt surprisingly nervous as she walked up the steps. She turned around and realized for the first time just how many people were there. They were looking at her expectantly and she suddenly felt her mouth go dry. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"More than anything else, Rayna Jaymes was a mom. _My_ mom. I don't remember anymore exactly how old I was when I realized she was famous. Of course, she'd always been, all my life anyway. And while there certainly were times when I wanted to take advantage of that, she always tried hard to give us a normal life.

"Of course, there wasn't much that was normal about singing on the Opry stage or at the Ryman or the Bluebird. Or going out on a tour bus with her or to a tour after party. She made some of the most special moments of my life happen, like making my Opry debut when I was eleven and letting my sister and me do sound check on her tour when I was almost nine.

"But there were other special moments too, like making cookies at Christmas or going trick-or-treating with her. She helped me learn to swim and she always came to our talent shows and recitals. She was there when I was bullied at school and she let me cry on her shoulder when my first boyfriend broke up with me. She helped me pick out my wedding dress and she was there when my son was born." She choked on the last few words and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"There was a time in my life when I felt really alone and awkward and like I was sitting on the sidelines. There was a lot going on in her life too, but she was there for me. What she taught me then was to be fearless. To be fierce. To go for what I wanted and not worry about what other people think. To be true to myself. To follow my dreams. To love freely and unconditionally, even when it's hard. To never give up.

"Her life wasn't always easy. She was born into money and privilege, but she gave it up for her dream. I bet there were times when she thought about everything she'd given up for that, wondered if maybe she should give up the dream for what was easy and safe. But she persevered and she worked hard and she sacrificed. And she loved and she laughed and she fought for her dream. And, as you know, she achieved that. She was one of the great country music legends and then she helped so many others make their own dreams come true.

"When it came to love, I'm sure there were times when she wondered about her choices and whether she'd tried too hard or too long. She suffered for her love and she put it on a shelf for a long time for something easier." She looked at her dad then, hoping he would understand. When she saw a tiny smile of understanding on his face, she relaxed. "She found good enough and that felt safe and comfortable and for a while it _was_ enough. But the day would come when it wasn't. When she realized good enough wasn't all in. I think what she learned, though, was that love was still hard sometimes and still made you fight for it, but it could also take your breath away with the sweetness and the knowledge that, deep down, it was all you ever wanted and all you ever needed. She told me once, 'do things afraid' because the end result could truly be worth it. She took her own advice and I think she would tell anyone it was worth it. That's the lesson I learned from her that I'll take away now. To do things anyway, even if I'm afraid, because in the end, it's worth it.

"Rayna Jaymes was a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me she was just Mom. I'm so lucky I had her for as long as I did and I hope that everything I do going forward will honor her and please her." She could feel the tears on her face then, but didn't care. "I'll always miss you, Mom," she said, looking over at the casket. "I hope I'll always make you proud."

She looked back over the crowd, then focused on her husband as she walked back to her seat. When she was settled, she smiled at him and then slid her hand into his. He had a question in his eyes, but she just kept smiling, squeezing his hand gently. She was going to do this afraid, because she knew he was worth it.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Epilogue**_

Maddie parked the car next to the Wyatt plot. She got out and, closing her eyes, turned her face up to the sun, smiling to herself. It was a beautiful spring day with just a light breeze. She heard the other car doors close and turned, watching Daphne take Tandy's arm. They walked over to her and Tandy smiled and gripped her arm as well. The three of them walked to the bench that overlooked the Wyatt plot and sat.

This particular cemetery was a peaceful place in the middle of Nashville. The grass was lush and green, almost like a soft carpet underfoot. The trees had grown tall and full and provided ample shade. The grounds were well-maintained, with azaleas beginning to bloom and other flowers starting to bud. It was a wonderful place for meditation and contemplation. A few minutes passed before anyone said anything.

"I can't believe it's been three months," Daphne said quietly, breaking the silence.

Tandy looked at her. "I know. And yet it also feels like it was yesterday," she said.

Maddie took a deep breath. "I really miss her," she said. "Both of them. So much." She turned to look at them. "Do you think she's at peace now?"

Tandy looked back at the gravestones for Rayna and Deacon. _Loving wife. Devoted husband._ "Here's what I think," she said. "I think he was waiting for her and when she passed over, he was smiling when he saw her. And I think she ran to him and kissed him with all the love she'd been saving up for all those years. So yes, I think she's at peace." She looked at Daphne and then Maddie, laughing at the surprise on their faces. "What? So I'm a romantic at heart."

Maddie raised her eyebrows. "But about Mom and Dad?" she asked.

"I told you, I made peace with your father a long time ago. And we actually became friends."

Daphne laughed. "I can't even imagine that," she said. "The making peace stuff, yes, but the being friends?"

Tandy shrugged and smirked. "Even I can acknowledge someone has changed. Besides, he really did love your mom. He made her happy and that made me happy."

Daphne sighed. "I wish Michael was old enough to remember him. I know he has Dad, but I wish he'd had more time with Deacon."

They settled back into silence again. The breeze lightly rustled in the trees and the smell of freshly blooming flowers wafted over them.

Daphne cleared her throat and Tandy and Maddie looked at her. She looked at them, then away. "I've decided to leave Nashville," she said.

"What?" Maddie cried.

Daphne nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you know Nick and I had kind of drifted apart. So after Mom died, we talked. I mean, really _talked_. And we didn't want to split up. We still love each other. But if we're going to make it work, we need to be in the same place. This lack of proximity is killing us. So I'm going to go be with him. Both Michael and me."

Maddie still looked like she was in shock. "But what about Highway 65?"

"I'll do what Mom did and find someone to handle the daily operations. I can still do oversight wherever I am." Daphne wrapped her arms around her waist. "I had to do something. I couldn't let it slip out of my hands. I thought about Mom and Deacon and I didn't want to look back and wish I'd done something differently." She paused. "You know, she told me once that back when Deacon had cancer, there was a time when she thought she'd waited too long, that she'd lost her opportunity. So, after the transplant, she said she wasn't going to let anything get in their way."

Tandy smiled at her niece. "I'm so glad for you, Daphne," she said. "I'm happy the two of you are going to make this work. I think your mom would be so pleased. So, where will you go?"

"LA. For now. That's where most of Nick's work is. And Michael likes it there. It'll be different, but we're actually excited to see what's next." She breathed in deeply. "I think Mom would have approved. That was the one thing I considered. I mean, she gave me Highway 65 to run and she trusted me with it. But I think when it came down to the label versus love, she would always have chosen love. And I think she'd have given me her blessing."

Maddie nodded. "I think she would have too. I'll miss you, though. I mean really, really miss you. You've always been there with me, through the good and the bad. And even when I was awful to you, you took me right back."

Daphne looked confused. "When were you awful to me?" she asked.

Maddie laughed. "Long enough ago that the memory had faded, apparently," she said. She got serious. "I'm glad you're doing this. Even though I'll miss you like crazy, it's the right thing to do."

Tandy reached for Maddie's hand and then Daphne's, holding them tight. "Your mom loved you two so much. And she was so very, very proud of both of you. You both came from her heart. You know, of course, that our mom died when we were pretty young, and your mom wanted the two of you to have what we didn't. She always tried to make sure you had normal lives, even though that wasn't always easy to do. She wanted to protect both of you from all the pain life can throw your way. I know she wasn't always successful at that and I know that you both had your moments of rebellion and wanting to break away. But she still loved you more than anything. Being a mom was what she'd always wanted." She smiled, but tears were in her eyes. "She was happy for both of you. That you'd grown up to be such wonderful women and that you were happy with your lives." She looked at Daphne. "Your mom knew you were struggling, but you were right that she would have told you to follow love." She closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sky. "I know she'll always be looking down on us, watching over us. She will always be in our hearts."

After a moment, Maddie said, "I think what I always appreciated most about her was her loyalty. Even when I made things hard, she wouldn't give up on me. I think it would have been easy for her to say 'you wanted to be on your own, you're on your own'. When my own girls got to be that age, I finally realized how devastating it was for her. For me to tell her I wanted to separate from her, I know it tore her apart. We're closer to our mothers before we're born than we ever are to another human being. I let her down so badly, but she never, ever walked away."

Tandy nodded. "She wasn't made that way." She put her hand on Maddie's back and rubbed it gently. "You know, I disappointed your mom too. I kept things from her, things I should have told her, and left her to handle things she never should have. I let her down. She was angry with me but we always found a way to fix it." She sighed. "It was one of the reasons I made such an effort to be friends with your father. I felt like I owed it to her. She always made such huge sacrifices for the people she loved and I thought it was time I paid her back."

"You know, I remember when I performed with her in New York City. It was the night you came back, Maddie," Daphne said. "I still remember, even after all these years, standing on that stage with Deacon and him telling me how many people would be out there and I was terrified. I wasn't like you, Maddie. I loved to sing, but I think that was when I realized that getting up on a stage and performing might not really be my thing." She smiled. "But that night, Mom told me I would be great, and that if I forgot the words or something, not to worry, that she was right there and would cover for me. And she really did that for us our whole lives. She was always right there and she always had our back."

Maddie smiled. "She raised two strong women, Daphne, that I know for sure. We both learned so much from her."

Daphne nodded. "We did. You know, when I was putting together some of the material for the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of Highway 65, I realized all over again how strong she was. She fought for that label. She bet everything she owned on the label. She believed in what she wanted to do – be a refuge for artists, develop young artists. And she did that. She overcame so many obstacles. There were so many times early on when she'd be right on the brink and something would happen to knock her back, but she'd get back up and keep fighting. I think there was a time when she was the only artist on the label who had any record sales. That had to be so scary for her, but she never let it show. She just kept fighting."

"That's true," Maddie agreed. "I loved reading about how she got started in the business. She and Dad played all kinds of honky tonks and dive bars and hole in the wall places – for _years_ – before she finally caught a break. And it was always a struggle, because she was a woman in the industry. She just had to work harder. But even more than what she did as an artist was that she was a great mom. No matter what, I did always know that she loved me, that she loved _us_." She sighed. "She really was a great example for us."

Tandy took Maddie's hand and then Daphne's and lifted them up, squeezing them gently. "We were lucky to have had her in our lives. And now you two will carry on her legacy. Just as she always wanted."

 _ **The End**_

 _ **Sorry it took so long to finish this. I got caught up in my other story, but I always wanted to wrap this up with an epilogue. Thanks to all those who read this and especially to those who left a review. Always grateful.**_


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